Just Like the Movies
by abysmal2218
Summary: Heero leaves Relena in the middle of the night for seemingly no reason. She hadn't said or done anything that would have triggered his sudden disapearance. Une is confused, telling Relena he had never left and was still making nightly reports. However, the ex pilots know something is up, but are keeping quiet about his vanishing act. WARNING: Ch. 15 is kinda dark.
1. Chapter 1

_"Don't say goodbye like you're burying him_

_'Cause the world is round_

_and he might return..."_

_- Just Like the Movies by Regina Spektor_

* * *

Chapter One

The files, the folders, all the manila envelopes, the stamps, the pens, and even the phone were beginning to be too much. Today hadn't started off good. By lunch time, she was one more bad event from bursting into tears. She had made it to the end of the day. She refused to stay late this time. Any other time she would be ignoring the ticking of the clock, her secretary bidding her goodnight and even the random Preventers making their rounds into her office.

Today, she was more than willing to follow her secretary out of the building. She kept quiet, listening mindlessly to her chatter. Relena wasn't a normal girl who could sympathize with her coworkers. She didn't know what it was like to have a new boyfriend every week. She didn't even know what it was like to have a boyfriend period.

There was always gossip about Relena seeing some of her Preventer bodyguards, or even the L4 colony representative, Quatre Raberba Winner. She and Quatre scoffed at the tabloids. It was ridiculous to think she and Quatre could be a couple. It's not like they went out in public together. True, they worked together quite a bit, but it was all for the peace. They worked hard together to make sure everything they fought so hard for during the war wouldn't head back into that direction. Occasionally the political gatherings required them to spend time together as well, but to assume they were a couple was pushing it.

They both knew that it would be wasted energy to deny the gossip. If the reporters did a little digging they would discover that the two had met during the war. He attended her pacifist school, even. However, what the reporters would overlook would be the evidence of another student enrolling the same day as Quatre. No one ever thought about linking Queen Relena to an unknown man such as Heero Yuy.

No one knew him. They never cared to know his name, only calling him Gundam pilot 01. However, Heero was more than happy with the mystery to him. He always liked to live in the shadows, never causing a disturbance for anyone.

Relena made her way to her limo, quietly. She hadn't spoken much to anybody today. Even when she arrived home and was greeted by her loyal guardian, Pagan, she refused to say a word. He understood her better than anyone, having been there before she was born. If she needed time alone, he would always allow it. He would screen her phone calls for her as well, just so her privacy wasn't disturbed.

She loved that man.

Tonight, she didn't go straight into her home office. She went to her bedroom, exchanging her high heeled shoes for plush slippers. She undressed, slipping into an unflattering nightgown. She didn't care. She had no one to impress. No one would see her dressed like this tonight.

In fact, no one would come in to talk to her about her day. No one was going to come in and help her sort through her files. No one was going to be there to let her vent her frustrations anymore. Her only source of strength had vanished.

She wasn't going to give up though. Surely he wouldn't have left her completely. It was highly possible that he had been called away for a Preventer mission. Although, she knew about most missions, especially any concerning him. It was even possible that he would be opening her door tonight, checking on her wellbeing. Maybe her strength hadn't left like she assumed.

She stretched her arms up high over her head, trying to relieve the kinks in her neck and back. She couldn't act as if she had been concerned about his whereabouts all day if he had indeed been there. But, there was just something that wasn't right. She woke up this morning without the feeling Heero always gave her. She woke up feeling like she wasn't being watched. She felt _alone_.

A knock resounded on her door, breaking her out of her trance. Her voice cracked when she answered, bidding the visitor inside. She held her breath, trying to not get her hopes up. A blonde man stepped inside of her room, saluting courteously. She didn't know this man at all.

"Excuse me, Miss Relena." He said in a light tone.

She tried her best to smile at him, but couldn't help the slumping of her shoulders as she walked across her room towards her enormous bed. It was official, Heero Yuy had left her.

The following morning, she found herself awake with full energy. She was determined to find out what happened to Heero. She skipped breakfast, ignoring the chef's demands to eat at least a slice of toast. She was short with everyone, giving demands like the royalty she was. She never acted the part, but sometimes, it showed.

She just couldn't figure out why he had left other than a mission. He hadn't truly left her side since Mariemaia's coup de tat. He wasn't officially a part of the Preventers until the stunt with Epyon De Telos, but she knew he was always around. It was almost a sixth sense for her. She could feel his presence as if he had wrapped his arms around her. He had never touched her besides the 'kiss' on the dilapidated colony, but they never spoke of it.

However, this morning she wasn't going straight to her office for work. She demanded to be taken to the Preventer Headquarters. She was going to get answers. There was absolutely no reason for her night guards to change so abruptly. She was always informed of such changes, especially when Heero was involved. Relena had tried to keep her teenage feelings bottled up, but every once in a while she thought people knew. She knew Noin knew about it, but that was to be expected when the woman was around her and Heero so often.

Heero didn't think of her like she did him. She was almost certain of it. But the one doubt, the one thing she always had to fall back on was the kiss. If he didn't share her feelings then why would he have kissed her then?

The hallways were empty; spare a random recruit sprinting to an office. She always smiled when she walked these hallways. Everyone was so driven and always in such a hurry. They were always running to get to some one's office, as if the information they had attained was life altering. She had only experienced this once. It was the rare moment she had to debrief with Commander Une, but decided to speak to Heero beforehand. The moment she sat down in his chair to get friendly, a young man burst into his office, demanding that the files were wrong. There was going to be complete chaos if the files were disorganized.

She still laughed at the flicker of expression on Heero's face. He was completely appalled that someone would be so flustered about something so insignificant.

"_These new recruits are so anxious. They don't know how to relax and focus. I can't wait to see them on the field." Heero had said once the young man left._

Relena knocked on the repetitive door; all looking the same other than the name plaques. She heard the lock click, allowing Relena admittance.

"Miss Darlian, I wasn't expecting you." Lady Une's cool voice came from behind her desk.

There wasn't any need to tiptoe around her unexpected appearance. Lady Une never liked the small talk, which Relena liked about the woman. They were both extremely busy people.

"I was wondering why my night guards had changed? I wasn't aware that Heero had been sent on a mission." She said, clasping her hands firmly behind her.

"Yuy? I haven't sent him anywhere." Une cocked an eyebrow in confusion.

Relena could feel her composure slipping. Her shoulders were starting to sag. "He isn't on a mission? He wasn't there last night for guard duties, so I just assumed…"

"No, Vice Foreign Minister, he hasn't been sent anywhere. He's filed all of his reports so I am assuming he's still here."

Relena couldn't do anything but shake her head in disagreement. "He's not there anymore, Lady."

"He probably is, but just sending a trainee to do the rounds. These newcomers need experience too." She opened a folder, signaling that the conversation was over. "I wouldn't worry, Relena."

She tried to feign a smile for Lady, turning to walk out of the office quickly. She took a deep breath, placing her slipping emotions back into her chest so no one could see her disappointment. This was going to be another long day.

* * *

**A.N. So, I have two stories started, but decided to put this one up first. I'm not sure how people feel about AU stories. This one is completely mapped out and outlined, so it shouldn't take me too long to write out. **

**Let me know if you like the AU HeeroxRelena stories too. I enjoy them if they're done properly.**

**Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

"_You are mistaken 'cause I do not bite_

_Over the Williamsburg bridge on a bike_

_And if he loves me then why does he leave?"_

_-Just Like the Movies by Regina Spektor_

Chapter Two

Relena pinched the bridge of her nose, praying the headache would pass quickly. The throbbing pain on the side of her head had started after exiting Une's office, but now it was escalating. This wasn't the day to get distracted by any personal issues. By noon, she had to shrug her shoulders in defeat. Heero was a grown man and he could more than take care of himself. She knew he would be perfectly fine wherever he had gone.

Regardless of what Une said; he wasn't around anymore.

At one o'clock she had a meeting with all the ESUN and whichever colony representatives came. She hoped that Quatre would be there. He was usually busy and couldn't come to all the meetings, especially the boring ones like today. There really wasn't a point to it other than to talk about how well the peace was going.

Pointless.

Everyone knew the war was over and it seemed like nothing was going to interpose it. Sometimes, she felt as if these meetings were more for show. It was just a show for the people that there was still strong communication between the space colonies and Earth. It was redundant.

She sighed heavily, forcing the remaining bits of sandwich in her mouth. She wasn't hungry and hadn't been all day, but it wouldn't help her any not to eat. These meetings could take up hours of her time and rarely scheduled breaks. She sorted through her files according to importance that were growing steadily as the day wore one. She could at least continue to work during this meeting.

Ten minutes before the meeting, a junior Preventer knocked on her door. She knew her face, but not her name, which was common. There were so many now that it was hard to keep up with all of the new recruits. She only remembered the ones that were closely involved with herself or Heero. This redheaded woman had escorted Relena to a few meeting before and had remained silent the entire time. Relena didn't complain, though. Her life was full of conversations so she enjoyed the rare silences.

Folders tucked underneath her arm, she lead the way to the conference hall. Over the years, there had been more women removing the old delegates and taking their place, and for this Relena was grateful. She wasn't seen as some teenager without experience anymore. These women had stood up for the Vice Foreign Minister several times in debates without hesitation.

However, these women also gossip like it's their jobs. She was sure it was one of these women that had started to rumor of Quatre and her dating. She was friendly enough, but knew when to keep her guard up. She didn't have much of a personal life to begin with, but she wouldn't want it to slip that she had been infatuated with a Gundam pilot since she was fifteen.

Somehow Quatre had done an amazing job with keeping quiet about his piloting days. Pacifists don't use weapons for their battles and he surely would be shunned if word had ever gotten around that he was a violent solider. These people didn't care if you were a hero or not. Be a pacifist and they'll welcome you with open arms.

The oldest woman, Senator Eleanor Harmon, now on her third husband spotted Relena and immediately secured the Vice Foreign Minister's arm with her own. There was no fighting it and Relena couldn't possibly get away from the biggest gossip of the political women. She dismissed the Preventer and looked desperately for Quatre, although he wouldn't even be able to save her from the senator.

"Miss Darlian, how are you and Quatre?" the woman's husky voice whispered in her ear.

"If we were a couple I would assume we would be perfectly fine, however…" She spotted the blonde man sitting just inside the conference hall.

"I still don't know why you deny such things. It's obvious the two of you are attracted to each other." Before Relena knew it, the senator shoved her gently into the table behind Quatre, "I would consider it, Vice Foreign Minister."

She had to bite her bottom lip to hold back any nasty comment she would have loved to make. She had to keep her composure and settled behind the ex-pilot. She didn't need to say anything to get his attention for the senator had already made the announcement of her arrival to everyone sitting in the back of the hall.

"Miss Relena, it's good to see you again." Quatre said over his shoulder.

"I have to talk to you later, Quatre." She said in a hushed voice. She felt like she was in school again and trying not to get caught.

She noticed his shoulders slump ever so slightly. He must have been relieved about something. "I know what you're going to ask, but I don't know either."

She blinked in surprise, "How did you—"

"All right everyone! I hope you've cleared out your schedules for the rest of the day." The Chancellor announced from the high rise podium. Relena immediately laid her head on the table, regretting on not taking a sick day.

:::

By eight o'clock, Relena's legs were numb. She had been sitting in the same seat for seven hours listening to the Chancellor drabble on and on about peace and how to make even more improvements upon the ESUN. There was about five minutes where the lecture actually correlated with her position, and it was only updating everyone about the Mars Terraformation. However, as the former Queen she was obligated to sit through everything as if she still ruled the world. Her back was aching from the perfect posture she had to keep and the headache was still pounding from the constant mental reminders that she was setting an example for everyone.

It took everything in her body not to fall into her limo and sprawl across the leather seats. She hadn't been able to work through her files like she had hoped, and would now have to stay up several more hours to catch up on the tedious tasks.

She had almost forgotten the disappointment that was waiting for her at home. Any other time, Heero would have been waiting outside her front door for her arrival. Tonight, however, it was Trowa. She was still pleased to see the man, but he wasn't nearly as comforting as Heero. He spoke more than the Japanese man, but it wasn't the same critiquing that she had grown so fond of. Trowa would be kind to her if she expressed her difficulties. Kindness wasn't what she needed from her friends. She wanted to know if she was making a foolish decision or not. Trowa had never said one ill word to her about anything.

Like Quatre.

She smiled at the clown, letting herself inside.

"Quatre will be here shortly. I'd advise you to take a shower now before he arrives." Trowa said, closing the antique door behind them.

"No, I'll do it in the morning." She shook her head, redirecting her steps to the formal living room. All she wanted to do was curl up in her bed for a few minutes to relax her body. Sighing heavily, she stretched out onto the ivory sofa, still refusing to look at Heero's replacement. "What are you doing here?"

"Taking over your night guard." He said simply. He spoke it as if it didn't break her heart a little more.

"Where has Heero gone?" She asked, laying an arm over her face.

"I don't know." He answered too quickly.

"Agent Barton, where has Heero Yuy gone?"

"We're not entirely sure, Miss Relena." Quatre's voice answered gently.

She didn't try to sit up, but could hear that he was accompanied by another person. She would scream if it was Wufei. He always rubbed her the wrong way.

"Dearest Quatre, you're not the type of person to lie. I don't know why Heero has left me, but he has. I'm okay with him leaving, but I would like to know _why._"

"Sorry Princess, that's top secret Preventer stuff." Duo's jovial voice answered her.

She sighed heavily; relieved to know the American was there too. He would always cave into her demands. "Lady Une said that she wasn't aware of him leaving. If it really is Preventer related, I know Une would have told me something."

"Relena, you just need to trust him." Quatre had walked over to the couch, resting on the glass coffee table in front of her. She removed her arm, looking at him.

"I do, but—"

"He shouldn't be gone long, Princess. It's not like he can be away from you. After all, you are his—"

"DUO!" Trowa and Quatre bellowed simultaneously.

"…his charge."

Quatre laughed nervously, moving Relena into a sitting position. "You're too busy to worry about Heero. Concentrate on your work and he'll be back before you know it."

"What do you think I've been doing? What do you think I've been doing since I was sixteen?!" Suddenly, tears escaped her. She didn't know why she would cry. She never cried over Heero, no matter what happened. She hadn't even cried when he collapsed in her arms. But maybe it was her job finally taking its toll and then the added stress of his sudden disappearance.

"Why are you crying, Miss Relena?" Quatre asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"'Cause she's a woman." Wufei spoke from somewhere in her foyer.

The sound of his voice made her stop crying. She wasn't going to be around the Chinese man right now. She didn't know if she respected Sally or pitied her for constantly dealing with the man. She had thought Heero was bad until she met Wufei. He spoke constantly and it was always negatively. She stood up, ignoring the pilot's stares. She had too much work to do.

"Quatre, you are more than welcome to stay here. Trowa, I will see you in the morning, I assume?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Thank you, Relena."

"Goodnight, everyone." She said shortly, marching her aching legs up the stairs. In all honesty, her paperwork could wait until tomorrow.

* * *

**A.N. It's all planned out, it just has to start off kind of boring. I promise it will get more interesting in a few more chapters!**


	3. Chapter 3

"_It's just like the movies, I eat from the trees._

_If I do not open the curtains then I cannot see_

_All the people run by"_

_-Just Like the Movies by Regina Spektor_

* * *

Chapter Three

She had tossed and turned in bed all night, silently fighting with herself. Quatre had been right; there wasn't any need to worry about him. There wasn't any reason for her to lose focus of her job and worry about Heero's safety. To be honest, she was too busy to worry about him.

However, knowing she _shouldn't_ worry about him wasn't helping her not to. She had fussed over his safety after hearing about his self-detonation attempt. Any time he had gone missing, she worried. She had been half tempted to put a tracking device on him. But he would have found it immediately and destroyed it.

What was the point of worrying about him? He always came back. What Duo said spoke the truth. He couldn't stay away from her for very long. A few months at most, whether he voluntarily came back or not, he always did. She really had to stop her distressing.

She gave up trying to sleep. 3 o'clock and not the least bit tired. It was just the stress taking its toll on her body. She would either have to forget about Heero until he returned or cope with the lack of sleep until he returned.

Now, she couldn't understand why a man, Heero of people, had so much control over her.

It was just the time of peace. She didn't have to worry about the war anymore. She didn't have a country to run or a pacifist school to teach. She had the responsibilities of being Vice Foreign Minister, but now after years of the position she felt bored. She busied herself with all the paperwork just so she wouldn't have to face the reality that she no longer had a personal life.

She didn't honestly have any friends other than the Gundam pilots or the few Preventer members she had met throughout the war. Sally was kind enough to spend some time with her whenever their schedules allowed it. Noin had gone with Milliardo to Mars so she was now out of her closest friends. All she was really left with was Dorothy Catalonia.

Dorothy wasn't exactly the type of person Relena wanted to call for a cup of tea and stress free conversations. If Relena ever felt like she needed a good verbal abusing, she would call Dorothy immediately.

Relena slipped her silk robe on, ignoring the plush slippers beside her bed. A walk around her house might help her clear her mind. She walked out of her room quietly, not wanting to disturb Trowa. However, halfway down the stairs she literally ran into the clown. He didn't say anything to her, but stared at her quizzically.

"I was just getting a glass of water." She lied.

"Can't sleep?" He asked, ignoring her terrible lie.

She hung her head, "No, I'm sorry."

"Would you like to talk? I know you don't like to talk to me as much as Quatre or Heero, but I think I have a good listening ear." He asked, offering her his hand.

She took his hand, not really wanting to talk. She'd much rather walk around and sort out her own thoughts. She really wasn't in the mood for his kind words. She wanted someone to shake her and tell her to get over Heero and move on.

There was going to be a time when he left her and he wouldn't come back. He would either die or just be so fed up with her and the position she put him in constantly that he left her. She didn't want to be fifty years old when he left. She was getting sick and tired of waiting on him to do _something_. It was time for her to move on and find a suitor that actually wanted her.

"Has everyone gone home?" She asked, trying to distract herself.

"No, Duo is on the couch. Quatre took his usual room and Wufei is helping me with guard duty." He gently pulled her hand to help her down the stairs. "We wanted to stay here for you because you're not the type of person to cry in front of us. We were concerned."

"Oh, I'm sorry about that. I've just been really stressed out at work and I really didn't know how to handle Heero leaving, even though it shouldn't bother me at all anymore. I didn't cry just because of him."

"That's fine. It's good to cry every once in a while. I know your job is very taxing on you and you can't really let your emotions show too much." He said, removing his hand from hers and placing it gingerly on the small of her back.

She flinched from the contact instinctively, but didn't miss a second of the conversation. "Yeah, I haven't had a good cry in a while, actually. Heero interrupted my last one and this time it was Wufei."

"He doesn't have any manners. He shouldn't have said that to you."

"No, it's all right. I should have kept it in until I went to bed."

Trowa offered her a small smile, leading her into the kitchen. "What's on your mind, then?"

She sighed, moving away from his hand towards the cabinets to make coffee. There wasn't going to be any point going to sleep now. "I don't know, honestly. It's all very confusing for me."

"Talking definitely helps sort out your thoughts."

She set her favorite mug in the counter next to the plain white one for Trowa, ignoring the fact that she actually had to brew it first. "Heero."

"What about him?" Trowa sat on the barstool, watching her.

"There's going to come a point in our lives where he won't come back and I think I'm afraid he won't this time. I don't really want go through the rest of my life not seeing him because I never had a chance to say some of the things I want to."

"Like what?"

"That I love him." She bit her bottom lip nervously.

"Hm," he paused, "that's what I thought."

"What do you mean? Am I that obvious?" She creased her brow, only slightly irritated.

"Sometimes. It's obvious whenever you and he have had a long talk, but normally you two act like coworkers instead of housemates. I'm surprised you haven't said anything to him before now."

"Well, I would have if I thought he thought of me like that instead of a job." She snapped. The lack of sleep was starting to become apparent.

Trowa raised an eyebrow at her, "He did come and get you from Libra without anyone asking him to."

She laughed lightly, "He said Noin and the others wanted me over on Peacemillion. He came for me because they asked him to and so he could argue with my brother."

"No one asked him to, Relena. Duo told him you were there and he left immediately. Quatre had to tell Noin and Sally."

She opened her mouth to retort, but she heard footsteps coming from the hall. She had hoped they hadn't woken Duo. She watched Trowa turned to look at the entryway and saw that he didn't look tense in the slightest. He must have been expecting someone.

Much to her disappointment, the Chinese man walked in, smirking at her.

"Nothing unusual?" Trowa asked.

Wufei shook his head, walking behind Relena and started the coffee machine. All three of them sat in silence for a moment, listening to the coffee gurgle and drain into the pot. Relena kept her eyes on Trowa, waiting for Wufei to make his leave so she could continue their conversation. Heero wasn't much of a liar, so she didn't know why he would have told her Noin wanted her out of Libra.

But he wasn't exactly the most honest person, either. He did bend the truth sometimes.

"Are you done with your crying spell?" Wufei finally spoke.

"Yes, I am."

"Good. Heero isn't someone to cry over."

"And Treize is?" Relena snapped.

Trowa laughed loudly while Wufei's mouth hung open, insulted.

It took a few seconds for him to regain his composure, but then smirked at her again and said, "Glad to see you're feeling better."

* * *

**A.N. I'm a few chapters ahead on this story so I'll try to update regularly with it, however, I just started my EMT classes and they're very time consuming. Also with the holidays coming up, I'll be working a lot more. I'm going to try and keep this up as much as I can, though. **


	4. Chapter 4

"_My heart eats beats._

_My heart eats love."_

_-Just Like the Movies by Regina Spektor_

* * *

Chapter Four

_6 months later…_

Wufei loomed over her as she seemingly signed away her life. Lady Une had requested more equipment and more donations were going to be needed. Preventers had taken off, recruiting more and more veterans of the Eve War so costs were skyrocketing. Now they just needed her approval to get the funds.

Her hand was starting to cramp up. She'd signed a lot of paper work throughout the years, but now she was sure she was going to get carpal tunnel, and she was only halfway done.

"Any news on Heero yet?" She asked, twisting her wrist to relieve the cramping pains.

"Hm." Wufei grunted, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Where has he gone? Off to find his humanity?" She jabbed angrily. Six months and the four pilots had kept their mouths shut. She was shocked that even Duo hadn't cracked to her demands and tears. It had been six months of her asking randomly everyday where Heero had gone.

Wufei chuckled lightly, "He doesn't need to do that."

She sighed, giving up. Wufei of all people would be the last person to inform her of Heero's whereabouts. She didn't even know why she tried with him. At least he had been a little kinder to her the past six months. However, being kinder meant not speaking to her unless necessary.

After five more pages she threw her pen down. "I don't see how you expect me to finish this right now. I have other things to do today besides this."

"One more thing off your to do list."

"Leave it, please. I will finish it later." She leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes. She was going to wait until he left to rub her wrist. He would naturally call her names in Chinese if she showed too much weakness. Her intercom beeped loudly, interrupting anything Wufei was about to say.

"Yes?" Relena answered lazily.

"Mr. Carter is here to see you. He's unscheduled." Her secretary whispered into the phone.

"Don't see him, Relena. If he wants to see you badly he can schedule an appointment." Wufei said, glaring down at her. Whether he liked her or not, he was still her guard and had to protect her from any dangers. However, unscheduled visitors weren't uncommon.

"It's just Mr. Carter. He's harmless, Agent Chang. "

"He's from L4."

"So is Quatre. Send him in." she shot her guard a look before straightening her desk of its clutter.

"I'm your guard today, so when you're done for the day I expect those to be done too." He pointed at the stack of papers. She sighed, but nodded. She could only win one argument a day with him.

A knock came on her door as Wufei walked over to it, wrenching it open to reveal the Chairman of Economics, Charles Carter. This man was only a few years older than Relena, which was relieving to know that there was still someone young involved with her. He wasn't much taller than her, but he carried himself confidently. He was an attractive man with wavy black hair that was neat and well kept. Even his eyes were black, small and beady, but held passion in them which she saw on the rare occasions she was close enough to look into his eyes.

"Mr. Carter, I'm glad you could stop by." She stood, smiling at him.

Wufei, however, glared at the man before making his exit. Charles seemed unfazed by the unkindly Preventer agent and simply made his way to her desk. He didn't speak until he heard her office door close.

"I must admit that your security seems a bit rough, Vice Foreign Minister." He said, smiling.

She gave a polite laugh, settling back into chair. "They take their jobs seriously, Chairman. I suggest you hire them for your safety as well."

"No thanks, I have my own crew from L4. I don't want just anyone running around my new house on Earth."

Relena nodded out of sheer politeness. She wasn't any good at small talk. Grand speeches of peace, she could talk for hours, but the meaningless, mind numbing talk was hard for her. "What do I owe the pleasure, Charles?"

"I just wanted to stop by and see if you will still be attending the gala my sister and I are hosting?"

"The gala? Oh, right! When is it again?"

"This Friday. If you don't have a date, as it is plus one, might I suggest joining me?"

She was speechless. She tried not to let her mouth hang open or widen her eyes in surprise, but it was a natural response. She had never gone to these events with anyone other than Heero or Quatre, so this was definitely different. She hadn't even thought about going with anyone else.

Actually, she hadn't even considered going at all.

Her paused made him smile, however. "Think it over and let me know. I'll call you tomorrow afternoon."

She nodded, hoping she hadn't made a complete fool of herself. Just as he stood to leave, the intercom beeped again.

"Yes?" She asked, her eyes never leaving Charles.

"Representative Winner is here to see you, Minister."

"Thank you, send him in."

She noticed Charles' posture stiffen at the mention of Quatre's name. It was subtle, but being around Heero for so many years had taught her how to detect even the smallest movements in body language. That was how Heero communicated with her in public.

"Get in touch with me tomorrow, Charles. I have quite a bit of work I still need to take care of." She smiled serenely at him.

Charles Carter was a beautiful man, but he still gave Relena a strange vibe.

He turned towards the door as Quatre walked in. Quatre, the only one with proper manners of the pilots smiled at Charles. However, the L4 Chairman refused to respond and made his exit quietly.

"Why was he in here?" The blonde man asked, unbuttoning his suit jacket as he sat in the chair.

"He asked me to accompany him to the gala on Friday."

Quatre's reaction was the same as hers. Wide eyes and mouth hanging slightly open. "You declined, right?"

She shrugged, pushing Wufei's pile of papers aside. "Is this a business visit, Quatre?"

"Business and personal; which would you like first?" He smiled, taking the change of topic gracefully.

"Personal, I guess."

"Would you mind if I stayed with you until the gala? I don't really feel like traveling to space and back in just a couple of days."

She knew he only asked out of politeness. He was one of the few that had an open invitation to her home. She didn't live in the Sanc Kingdom anymore, but her home in Brussels was still adequate enough for several visitors. Heero had his own room, which was now taken over by Trowa.

"No need to ask, Quatre. What's the business question?"

"Well, I'm sure you've heard about the minor revolt in L4?" She nodded to his question. "There have been some rumors that the group has bought an old manufacturing company and is now making weapons. We'll be having a meeting about it tomorrow to find out what kind of action we need to make."

"Okay. Have you told Une about this?"

"No. I haven't seen any reason to inform the Preventers if it's just rumors. I know they usually find out about this before us, but since I'm from L4, I think I found out first."

"I think you should still inform Une about it." She said, straightening her back. "She'll want to attend to meeting, even if it's just rumors."

For some strange reason, Quatre smiled, "I won't bother her with this. They haven't declared war on anyone, but are just building. I'll have Rashid look into it more and if he thinks they truly are making weapons we'll inform the Preventers."

She sighed lightly, wrapping her aching wrist. "Do what you see is necessary. What time will the meeting be tomorrow?"

"First thing." He stood, buttoning his jacket back up. "I'll see you tonight, Relena."

:::

Something was wrong. She felt it in the pit of her stomach when she awoke the next morning. She woke up feeling claustrophobic and had to take several deep breathes to calm herself. It was still early morning, as the sunlight was barely above the horizon, but she pulled her robe on and left her room anyway.

It was completely quiet in her house, as it should be, but there was just something different. She couldn't shake the feeling.

Her bare feet padded their way across the tile floor quietly, not wanting to wake her maids or guests. She certainly didn't want to disturb Trowa, since this was his time to relax. The night guard was the most boring part of her security. She didn't know why Heero had done it for so many years.

She walked down the stairs on her tiptoes. There was only one light on in the house and it was coming from the kitchen. Someone was awake. The aroma of bland coffee hit her the closer she got.

Then she heard it. There were men voices. One stood out the most to her. Surely she had misheard and it was simply Quatre and Trowa talking. She sighed, walking into the kitchen to smile at the men.

As soon as she had rounded the corner, her mouth dropped open.

There, standing by the kitchen island was Trowa, nursing a mug of coffee, and smiling at none other than the missing Heero Yuy.


	5. Chapter 5

I ran out of lyrics. :)

* * *

Chapter Five

She would have screamed if her throat hadn't dried up completely. She wanted to walk over and slap him across the face as hard as she could too, but her feet weren't willing to move.

Trowa had seen her first and his smile immediately left his face. Heero turned around, still stoic as ever. He didn't smile at her or say a word, just stared. She had to blink and rub her eyes a couple times to realize that he was, indeed, in her kitchen.

"You're up early." Trowa said, trying to break to awkward silence.

She ignored him, finally regaining mobility. She took one step towards Heero and he remained motionless. She took another and another until she was close enough to feel his breath on her face. She raised her hand slowly and gripped his arm, just to make sure he truly was there.

She had to swallow a few times, finding her voice. "Where have you been?"

She winced at the sound of her hoarse words. He didn't reply, but simply stared at her. She refused to move away from him, almost reveling in the closeness she had always desired, but was too nervous to do.

"Relena, you should try to get a couple more hours of sleep." Trowa tried again.

"Heero, you look awful." He had dark circles under his eyes and his face was now covered in a beard thick enough to hide his jawline. This was the first time she had seen him with facial hair, and she was surprised that she liked it.

"You've been overworking again?" Heero finally spoke. There it was. The calm critiquing she had been missing for six months. Wufei's snide remarks were always a bit too harsh for her.

She couldn't help but smile, "Of course. You know I don't know how to honestly relax."

He nodded, turning slightly to reach for his cup of coffee. "You really should try to get some more sleep. You have a meeting at eight and then a speech to give at the university."

"How do you know my schedule like you never left?" She frowned.

"Go back to bed, Relena."

"Heero, you have been gone for six months and you expect me to go back to sleep now that you've returned? I don't think so." She crossed her arms over her chest, staring straight into his dark blue eyes.

He never lost his speed and startled her when he ducked and lifted her over his shoulder. Still carrying his coffee, he easily carried her back up to the stairs and to her room. Depositing her on the bed, he ignored any words of her protests. He had moved back towards the door before her eyes had adjusted to the darkness in her room.

"Heero, please," She said, trying to hold back the feeling of rejection.

She saw him stop by the door, only turning his head to look at her.

"Just stay with me for a few minutes." She lay down on her bed, ignoring the comforter and sheets. She watched him as he seemed to struggle. She was perfectly fine if he just stood by her door. She just wanted to be able to see him.

Surprisingly, he walked over to her bed, setting his coffee on her nightstand. She moved over slightly, making room for him. He sat next to her, studying her face in the semi darkness. She didn't make any movements, drinking in the sight of his grizzly appearance. That claustrophobic feeling that woke her up was still there, but now she realized it was just Heero's presences. She had forgotten how she felt when he was near.

"How are you?" He asked, pulling the sheet over her body.

"Busy with work. How have you been?"

"Busy as well."

She reached for his hand, which he took gently. "Where have you been?"

"Don't worry about it." He said dismissively.

"But Heero—"

"Relena." He moved closer, laying down next to her now. "It's doesn't matter where I was. I'm here and now you need to sleep."

She sighed, resting her head deeper into her pillow. "You're going to be here when I wake up?"

"Yes."

:::

Heero followed Relena into the conference room. Trowa and Quatre were already waiting for them, along with Duo, Wufei, and the entire Magnac Corps. She frowned when she didn't see Lady Une or any other Preventer there. It was never a good sign if only the pilots were there.

She sat down, ignoring Duo's jovial grin and Quatre's stares. She half expected Heero to sit down next to her, but just because he had fallen asleep next to her this morning didn't mean he was going to sit with her. He always stood behind her during meetings and off to the side during speeches.

She couldn't understand how he was able to come back suddenly and act as if nothing had happened. As Duo approached him, she was amazed that even his conversations weren't about catching up. It almost felt like everyone had remained in contact with him other than herself.

Finally, Quatre motioned for the meeting to start. "As you've all heard, we have a small amount of information about a resistance group that's formed in the L4 colony cluster. We believe that this is just a minor threat. From all the information that has been gathered, we assume that the rumors of them building a nuclear weapon are false.

"However, we still need to be aware of their intentions which, as we are assuming, are to cause another war. It also looks, from the data we've recovered, that this group is completely unsystematic. I don't want to say that we should disregard them, but there shouldn't be any panic about them making an attack on the ESUN anytime soon."

"So, it's just another amateur group?" Duo asked, leaning his chair back on two legs.

"Looks like it." Quatre said, nodding to the American.

"They'll kill themselves before we have to get involved. I say this we just sit back and continue on with our lives."

"I say we should continue with our lives, but still watch out for them. They may be unsystematic, but they're still angry."

"I'm not concerned." Wufei said, scowling as usual.

"Whether they're any threat or not, we still need to take some sort of precaution. Preventers will have to infiltrate the base to attain more information, which then gives us more power. If they're angry, then it will only be a matter of time for them to do something drastic." Relena said with her hands clasped tightly on the table.

These men obviously thought that it wasn't going to be any fun. Duo definitely looked as if he was promised a large rollercoaster but was then offered the spinning teacups. Relena, however, saw nothing but more paperwork and even more speeches. If this group did try anything, she would have to be there at all hours of the day to calm the people down. She would much rather nip it in the bud before fear found its way back into humanity. Turmoil would definitely ensue if this group gained any momentum.

"Right," Quatre smiled and nodded to her, "Even the most disorganized groups can still be dangerous. I certainly don't want this peace to end because of some amateurs. However, we have been informed that they have a target in mind. We're assuming it's for a hostage."

Relena gasped quietly.

"The group is targeting myself, from the looks of it." Quatre said sadly.

No one seemed shocked about his announcement like Relena. No one even flinched from the news, which made her feel as if they had been keeping information from her again.

"I think that's all I really wanted to say. I know Miss Relena has been asked to join the Chairman of Economics from L4 for the gala this Friday. If she is willing to go with him then maybe she could try to get something else out of him about these rumors." Quatre winked at her.

"Go for it, Princess!" Duo yelled louder than necessary.

She felt her face flush as she felt Heero move closer behind her. She had no interest in going to the gala, and she definitely didn't want to go with Charles.

"Why do you think he will have more information than you, Quatre?" Heero asked.

"I don't spend a lot of time on L4 these days. Most of my business seems to be here on the Earth."

Suddenly, Relena remembered something Charles had said. "Charles doesn't live on L4 anymore, either. He told me yesterday that he had just bought a house here in Brussels not that long ago."

She really didn't want to go to the gala.

"Quatre, you should go as Relena's date. Wufei, Duo, and I will be security. Talk to anyone that you know is from L4. I think that's about the only way to attain certain information." Heero suggested.

"Is that all right with everyone?" Quatre asked, looking around the room. Everyone remained silent, including Relena.

It was decided. She would have to go to the festivities whether she liked it or not.

**A.N. Have any of you heard of the rapper Richie Branson? If not, download his album called Wing Zero EP from his website. It's amazing and hilarious. This guy seriously raps about Gundam Wing. LOVE!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Slight 4xD if you look real closely.**

* * *

Chapter Six

She thought she had grown out of temper tantrums.

However, the moment Heero walked in to her room carrying her dress for the gala tonight, she stamped her feet. She did _not_ want to go to this event tonight. She didn't know why. Usually she had to grit her teeth and go just to socialize. It was best be stay in the good graces of all the delegates.

For some reason, tonight she really didn't want to go.

She had feigned the flu in the morning; only to be dragged out of bed by Heero.

She had all of her appointments run longer to take up more of her time, causing her to run late, thereby giving her a valid excuse not to show up.

Heero canceled any changes.

Then, once she was forced into her room to start getting ready, she threw the gown out of the window. Enter Heero with her dress and her final tantrum.

She was sure that if she had refused to put the dress on he would have dressed her himself. It was only half tempting.

Now, she sat quietly in the car, fingers fidgeting with the faux jewels of her coral dress and stared out the window. Quatre was going to meet them there, saying it would look less like they were a couple if they arrived separately and with bodyguards. Heero had dressed in a tuxedo, which looked surprisingly well on him, so he wouldn't stand out so much.

Relena still couldn't shake the feeling of doom ahead of her. Whether she'd get stuck with some wrinkly old guy as a dance partner for the rest of the night or a terrorist attack, she didn't know. She just knew she didn't want to go. She even half hoped Dorothy would be there so she could have someone intimidating to talk to.

All through her tantrums, Heero had remained quiet. But he knew he didn't need to use words with her. His glares were sufficient enough; which was why they now sat in her limo completely silent.

Even when they arrived to the mansion on the outskirts of Brussels, she refused to look at him. He tried to get out of the car before her to open her door, but she was just as quick. If he was going to force her to this gala, she would make him chase after her if he wanted to protect her. She had it planned out.

At the top of the steps stood Quatre, dressed in a blue tuxedo, and accompanied by Duo and Wufei. She didn't know why Quatre felt the need to have two bodyguards. All of them were Gundam Pilots and could protect themselves. She was sure Quatre had a gun on his person somewhere.

She knew Heero always carried three.

"You look beautiful, Miss Relena." Quatre said politely.

She smiled and took his arm. She made a point to only smile to Duo. If he was given the cold shoulder, he would immediately cause a scene. Their job tonight was to enjoy this without any disturbances.

Once she felt like she and Quatre were far enough away from any eavesdroppers, she asked the empath, "Do you feel like this is a bad idea to be here?"

Quatre's bright smile immediately fell, "Yes, but we can't let that get in the way of our duties."

She sighed, straightening her posture too. At least she wasn't crazy for having that feeling.

"Miss Relena!" A woman called somewhere within the ball room. Quatre turned to see who it was while Relena hung her head.

"Oh, hello Dorothy." Quatre said, smiling brightly again. Relena only slightly looked up to watch the blonde come over to them. She attached herself to Quatre's other arm.

"How are you Dorothy?" Relena asked.

"Wonderful! I've been watching your work, Miss Relena. You're still doing a fantastic job. I had a few questions for you once we have a minute."

"All right. I would like a drink, Dorothy. You can come with me over there."

"Oh no, Miss Relena. You have to do your round of greetings first. You know how this goes. I'll be with you, though. You seem a little nervous."

She nodded, looking behind her for Heero. She needn't look far as his chest was directly in front of her line of vision. Angry or not, she wanted him near.

The three of them walked around the room, shaking hands and made the necessary small talk. The bodyguards only seconds away. The feeling of doom started to ease as time went on. By the second hour into the event, Dorothy pushed them to the open bar. Quatre refused to drink anything other than water, which quickly started a debate between the two. Relena, however, sipped on her champagne. She wedged herself between the bar and a group of delegates. She could handle their chatter if it kept her away from a certain someone.

Heero stood by a pillar, only two feet away from Relena's hiding spot. If she had been hiding from him, she would have failed miserably. She knew better than to hide from him in a public place. It would mean a punishment worse than death… at least in her case.

An hour long lecture about her safety was worse than death for her.

She was avoiding Charles Carter. She was in a meeting when he called about her joining him and she forgot to call him back. She didn't like avoiding people, but he gave her a strange vibe. She couldn't get comfortable with him around her alone for too long.

She had seen him wandering around a few times already, but was fast enough to get out of his line of vision. She knew she would have to face him eventually, but hopefully she would be drunk enough to tolerate him. Also, if she got drunk enough, Heero would be carrying her mostly. No one wants to talk to a drunken Vice Foreign Minister.

Unfortunately, by the time she had finished her second glass of champagne she was spotted. It was now unavoidable, but she would be able to keep Quatre near her. After the incident in her office between Quatre and Charles, she knew Quatre was good to keep around.

"Miss Darlian, I was beginning to think you weren't going to make it tonight." He smiled, showing off his white teeth.

She did her best to smile genuinely at him, "I apologize for not returning your call. Work has been hectic this week."

He nodded, eying Quatre to her left. "I assume you came with Mr. Winner?"

"And Miss Catalonia. We've known each other for years, so it's kind of a reunion party for us."

"How do you know Miss Dorothy?"

"She was a student of mine during the war."

"Miss Relena, have you heard this horrid gossip about the L4 colonies?" Dorothy asked, oblivious to Charles.

Relena swallowed nervously. This was not how she had thought to ask Charles about the rumors. "Yes, I have."

"To think L4 is capable of manufacturing a nuclear weapon! Quatre would know before anyone if there were such activities." Dorothy was tipsy and it was quite obvious.

"Actually I wouldn't, Dorothy. I've been on Earth quite a bit." Quatre laughed, helping the blonde woman stand properly.

"Oh! Mr. Carter," Dorothy spotted him, smiling a wicked smile, "Have _you_ heard about the rumors?"

"Yes, Miss Cataloina, I have. They are truly just rumors. There is nothing to prove we have manufactured any kind of weapons over the past few years."

"Told you!" Dorothy poked Quatre in the ribs.

"All right, I'm going to take you somewhere to lie down. Drink some more water." Quatre wrapped an arm across Dorothy's waist, hoisting her up off the ground slightly. Relena forgot sometimes just how strong the gentle man was.

Within a second, Relena realized she was now standing alone with Charles. Her eyes widened slightly as she took a small step back. All of it was inconspicuous to the common person, but she knew Heero would notice.

"So, Relena, would you like to dance?" The Chairman asked, extending a hand to her.

"She promised me a dance." Heero's voice was deep and low, and immediately calmed her.

"I don't believe we've met?" Charles' extended hand shifted, offering now for a handshake.

Relena had never seen Heero shake anyone's hand. Trowa had told her once that he shook her brother's hand, but she had yet to see him. He was introduced quite a bit to new people, but everyone was always satisfied with the slight head nod that Heero gave.

"Agent Yuy, it's a pleasure to meet you." Heero said, keeping his hands firmly by his side.

"Agent? Do you work for Miss Darlian's Preventer team?" Charles retracted his hand.

Heero nodded, placing a hand on the small of her back. It was his signal that he was ending the conversation. She took a step forward, smiling lightly at Charles. She had never seen the Chairman look so grim in the few years of knowing him. His mouth was set in a tight frown, eyes scrutinizing Heero.

Heero led Relena across the dance floor, as far away from Charles as they could go. She was grateful to have him back. She was glad that he knew her so well that he could tell when she was uncomfortable. Most of the time, he never did anything other than stay closer than usual. She was a strong woman and could defend herself. Honestly, she took on Dorothy's judgments with ease and that woman could strike fear into adult men.

However, Charles was something else. She couldn't quite figure out what it was about him.

Relena couldn't help but press her cheek against Heero's chest as they danced for the second time in their life. She had been too busy talking to him the first time to actually revel in the feel of his skin or the skill he had to dancing.

"You're still not going to tell me where you went, are you?" She asked his chest.

"It's not important."

"You could have at least told me you were leaving."

"I didn't see any point to since I knew I was going to come back. I have to protect you since you're my charge."

She pushed herself off of him abruptly. She couldn't hide the hurt on her face as she walked away from him. She made her way through the waltzing bodies towards the balcony. This had to have been the feeling of doom. She was going to find out about Heero's true feelings for her and it broke her heart. Throughout the years she had kept her heart solid just by knowing that he was near her.

Now, she didn't know if she could keep it together anymore. She wouldn't cry, but avoid him until she could cry in privacy.

She leaned over the marble banister that overlooked the gardens. She kept biting her tongue and clenching her teeth to stop the tears overpowering her. She could do this. She could stay strong for a little while longer.

"Relena, you're not supposed to go anywhere alone." Heero came up from behind her, gripping her elbow.

She pulled back, not looking at him.

"Why did you walk away?" He tried to grab her again, but she took a step back.

"All I am to you is a job?" She surprised herself with a strong tone.

"That's not what I meant."

"I have never seen you as _just_ a Preventer, or_ just _a Gundam pilot. I have always seen you as Heero Yuy and I...I have always loved you." She hung her head, but still kept the tears away. She wasn't going to cry over him.

The sounds from the hall grew louder as someone walked out of the building. "Miss Relena," Quatre's voice said quietly, "Dorothy is getting pretty sick. I think we should go home now."

"That's fine." She said and took one step towards the double doors.

Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain bloom in her chest. She locked her knees trying to stay standing when she saw Quatre drop to the ground, clutching his chest as well. She desperately reached for Heero, feeling her chest grow cold.

The look of horror was apparent on his face when her vision blacked out.

* * *

**A.N. The plot thickens! Muwhahahaha!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Some of you might want to hurt me for this chapter's cliffhanger! :D**

* * *

Chapter Seven

A steady beep resounded somewhere in her mind.

Relena woke up slowly, pain searing down her chest and arm. The smell of disinfectant and alcohol engulfed her senses. She knew she was in a hospital. She didn't even need to see the white walls or the IVs hanging from her arms. When she moved slightly, she remembered why she was there.

A pain. A horrible pain in her chest brought her here.

"You're awake." Heero's hoarse voice said.

She turned only her head to look at him. He was still in his tuxedo, signifying that she hadn't been out for too long. Although, he looked just as tired as he had upon his return. His tie was undone and his shirt and pants were wrinkled. She must have been out for hours.

"What happened?" She tried to say loudly, her dry throat making it nearly impossible for the words to be louder than a whisper.

"You were shot; as was Quatre. Preventers are still in the search for the assassins. "

"Why are you here?" She didn't mean to come off as rude, but she was more surprised to hear that there was a search party that he wasn't a part of.

"I wanted to stay here in case you woke up."

She was silent, her fists gripping onto the sheets tightly. "I'm not dead. Obviously it wasn't an assassination attempt."

"You took a step forward when Quatre came outside. I can only assume that they would have hit you directly in the head had you not."

She exhaled heavily, watching the florescent lights flicker above her. Her gown was itchy and she moved her feet around the bed. She wanted to stand. She wanted to go home. She needed to see Quatre and make sure he was all right.

"Don't move. I'll get Sally for you." He said, already walking out the door when she comprehended his words. If he was getting Sally then she must have been at the Preventers Hospital. She should have figured. She was with Heero and he didn't like regular hospitals. They were too high risk for the Vice Foreign Minister and it was his job to always keep her safe.

This thought brought back the confession she had told Heero before the attack. Immediately, she felt her face flush with blood and the heart monitor beep a little faster. She couldn't believe she had actually told him she loved him. She had kept her mouth shut for years, why did it have to come out then?

Sally walked into her room only a moment later. Heero was on her heels, with his usual stoic expression. She grabbed the chart hanging off of the bed, but didn't pay any attention to it.

"How are you feeling? What happened to make your heart rate faster?" Concern was clearly etched on her face.

"I'm fine. I just…got nervous for a second." Relena replied, avoiding Heero's stare.

"You got pretty lucky, Relena. The bullet nicked your left lung, but you'll be fine in a few days. I want to keep you for another day." Sally said, disregarding the clipboard.

"How's Quatre?" Relena asked.

Sally smiled, "He's fine. It looks like whomever was trying to assassinate the two of you was a bad aim. The bullet hit his intercostal muscles."

Relena was relieved. She had expected the worst when she saw Quatre fall. She had heard about Dorothy stabbing him on Libra and he still was strong enough to fight until the end.

"Get some rest. I'll come and check on you every so often, but I think Heero will be staying until I release you." The woman smiled coyly and winked as she walked out the door.

Relena frowned slightly, trying to push herself up into a sitting position. The pain in her chest was excruciating and she fell back onto the mattress. It was only a second later that she felt Heero's arm wrap around her waist, lifting her up gently. She blushed, but still kept her eyes averted from his.

"Is that comfortable?" He asked, adjusting the pillow against her back.

"Yes, thank you." She said in a breathy tone.

He surprised her when he pulled the chair closer to the side of her bed. She could feel his eyes watching her and she had to shift uncomfortably. She was use to his stares. She was use to the silence between them as well, but she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable because her confession was on her mind. More than likely he wasn't even concerned about it, but she was. She wasn't dead, so she wasn't concerned about much else. The Preventers were on a manhunt, so that was another thing for her to be less concerned about.

Once they caught the perpetrator, she would worry about everything.

"Do you feel all right? Do you have a fever?" He pressed the back of his hand against her cheek, causing more blood to rush to her face.

"I'm fine. Have you spoken to Wufei and Duo?" She tried distraction.

"Not yet. They're with the search party." He replied monotonously.

"No one is with Quatre? I should go see him." She tried to move, only to be pushed gently back.

"Dorothy is sitting with him."

"You should get some rest, Heero. You look awful again." She chanced a glance at him.

"I will when you do."

She huffed, staring at the white wall. The silence was deafening. She wanted to continue to talk to him, but she refused to start the conversation. She always started their conversations. She was getting sick of these games. She confessed her love to him and he acted as if the words never escaped her mouth. Granted, she got shot a few seconds later, but that was beside the point.

Her stubborn pride kept her from staying anything and so several minutes passed by. She wasn't even sure if it hadn't been an hour before a knock came on her door.

She was glad and also concerned when Duo popped his head him, only half smiling. "How ya doing, Princess?"

"I'm fine. Find anything?" She smiled half-heartedly.

He nodded, beckoning Heero out of the room. She watched as the men retreated, feeling as if she had missed her chance to make amends. He was her best friend whether he knew it or not and she didn't want to damage it.

"Oh, Relena." Heero said, turning back into the room slightly. "You're feelings are mutual."

:::

A few hours later, Heero returned followed closely by Lady Une and Duo. She had been able to sleep lightly while waiting for Heero's return.

"How are you feeling, Relena?" Une asked, occupying Heero's previous seat.

"Just fine. What's the news about the attempt?" Straight to the point like Une and she liked it.

"Not good. We captured the two that shot yourself and Quatre and through some interrogation they said they are members of the Libertatum." She paused, studying Relena's features for some kind of recognition. "It's the revolt group from L4."

Relena's eyes widened. "But, I thought they weren't anything to worry about?"

"We take all of these groups seriously, Minister. The one thing I can't seem to understand is how they knew you were attending the gala. It was a private party and didn't make any news. No one knew where the party was going to be held or who was going."

"Someone's tracking Quatre. That's the only explanation." Duo chimed in, throwing his arms over his head.

"Unless someone is working for Libertatum that was at the gala." Heero said coldly. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest.

"That might be possible." Une said, eyes glazing over slightly as she was in thought.

"Maybe the mole is in Preventers." Wufei's voice came suddenly, holding a file in his hand. No one had noticed the Chinese man slip into her room. "I have some interesting facts that might prove you to be the mole, Heero Yuy."


	8. Chapter 8

**Here's what you all have been waiting for!**

**p.s. no torturous cliffhanger**

* * *

Chapter Eight

She waited to see if Wufei was joking. She was waiting for someone to break into a smile and say "Just kidding!", but no one did. Relena saw Une's lips part slightly, trying to keep her composure. Duo's eyes widened in surprise, but Heero stayed perfectly calm. He hadn't flinched at Wufei's accusation at all.

She watched as the two men stared at each other as if challenging to dispute it. The room was deathly quiet for several minutes until Une spoke, trying to relieve some of the tension.

"That is a bold statement, Agent Chang. What evidence do you have against him?"

Immediately, Wufei handed the file to her, not breaking his eye contact from Heero.

Une flipped through the pages slowly, studying the information carefully. Relena leaned forward slightly trying to see the file as well, but the pain in her chest stopped her from getting too close. After a few minutes, Une let out a heavy sigh. She closed her eyes tightly and moved her lips as if trying to find the correct words.

"All right, Yuy. I can't ignore the fact that you have been missing for the past six months any longer. Chang just handed me some definite proof that you weren't on a solo mission for Preventers. You can explain where you had gone or I will have to arrest you for treason."

Relena felt her mouth fall slack. She stared at Heero, waiting for him to deny all accusations. However, he remained immobile. He stood like a statue; the only thing letting her know he was alive was the small rise and fall of his chest.

"C'mon buddy. Tell them where you've been." Duo tried to coax his friend, giving him a small pat on the back.

Heero was still silent. He finally looked away from Wufei only to turn his gaze to Relena. She was pleading to him with her eyes. He wouldn't betray Preventers; they meant too much to him. No amount of money in the world or space could make him turn his allegiance. He wouldn't betray her. She knew that for sure.

"I think you're mistaken, Agent Chang." Relena said through gritted teeth.

Une handed her the file solemnly. There it was, photographs of him, documents with his signature, and proof of residency on colony 06E3. There were pictures of him saluting a man in a uniform she didn't recognize. Another photo had zoomed in to the clothing which clearly stated Yuy and above his name was embroidered Libertatum.

The man she was in love with was, in fact, a rebel.

Relena closed the file with a snap. She couldn't look at him any longer. She thought she knew him better than that. But, she also knew that people change all the time. People's opinions can change at the drop of a hat, but he hadn't changed what he believed in since the war. Perhaps she had been blinded when he was slowly changing his mind.

He had helped her with most of her paperwork every night for several years. Maybe he didn't agree with something that she had consented to. He always did say she was too caught up in her ideal world, but he was living in it too.

Une stood up, signaling Wufei to remove the restraints from his belt. Heero still didn't move. His eyes went back to challenge his comrade. It was only when Wufei gripped his immobile arm that her door opened again. This time, Trowa wheeled Quatre in. Instantly they could sense the tension.

"What's happened?" Quatre asked.

"Yuy has turned out to be a traitor." Wufei answered smugly. Relena was sure he still resented him for their battle during Mariemaia's brief reign. Heero had told her about how Wufei opposed her ideals. At the time she was quite proud to know that Heero had believed in her so much that he would fight against his own for her.

Une handed Quatre the file before he could ask any more questions. He studied the pictures and read the documents carefully. Wufei had continued to bind Heero's hands behind his back while Quatre read. It was only when the blonde man threw the file across the room that everyone turned to look at him strangely. He wasn't the type to have outbursts.

"That's completely impossible. You need to let him go."

"What do you mean? He was wearing the rebel uniform. "Wufei snapped.

"I'm sure he had good intentions. I know this is false because there isn't a colony 06E3." He paused, sighing heavily. "That was the colony I blew up."

"Which is why I went to check it out. " Heero finally spoke.

"What do you mean?" Relena gapped.

Heero rolled his shoulders, "I was on my way to Mars. I had some business to discuss with Zechs, but while I was out in space I intercepted a radio transmission talking about the colony 06E3 and how the remodel had been completed. I remember that that was the only colony Quatre had been able to destroy with Zero so I decided to look into it. I only thought that I would find a construction site and no civilians. When I got there, it was full of people and everyone was supporting Libertatum. I overheard someone mention Quatre's name as a target. I had to join Libertatum to find out more. I had relayed most of the information I had been able to attain to Quatre and Trowa. I withheld the information about which colony it was on since I wasn't sure what Quatre's reaction would have been."

"Man, I feel so left out! I thought you had gone to talk to Zechs about -" Duo said with a hurtful tone.

"I didn't find it necessary to inform _everyone_ where I was." Heero interrupted.

"You could have contacted myself about the situation." Une scolded, crossing her arms over her chest as she faced Heero directly now.

"I didn't feel they were threatening enough to involve Preventers immediately. I knew Quatre or Trowa would inform you of a few details." Heero shrugged nonchalantly, "I assumed they would be after Quatre because of his attack. There weren't any documents or computer files that lead me to any kind of real motive. They may be unorganized, but they're also very private."

The room grew silent.

"Why did they attack Relena?" Duo asked, watching her carefully on the bed.

"Probably because everyone assumes she is dating him." said Trowa.

"Did you find out who is in charge of Libertatum?" Une asked.

"No, it's like Quatre said in the meeting. Libertatum is unsystematic. Everyone seems to be in control and no one is in sync. They seem to do whatever they want." Heero answered stoically. He was still bounded, but it didn't seem to bother him at all.

"No leader means it'll be more difficult to take them down. Preventers will need to be prepared for a full-fledged attack." Une said, smiling sadly to Relena.

"Man, I wish we still had the Gundams. Quatre could get into Zero and blow that colony up again." Duo joked, "It would save us a lot of time."

Quatre sighed quietly, "I won't be much help right now."

"We'll need to plan before we go in. You and Relena need to worry about recovering first and foremost." Une moved towards the door finally. Surely she was about to head back to her office to begin all the strategic planning and recruiting that would be necessary now. "Chang, you can remove the restraints now."

Wufei tsked, only throwing the keys to Duo before he followed Lady Une out. Relena kept her line of vision away from Heero. She was sure he was staring at her. She certainly wasn't going to admit that she had believed him a traitor. She felt guilty that she didn't trust him as much as she thought she did.

"How did you get out of Libertatum, Heero?" Trowa asked, still holding onto the wheelchair handles.

"Left. They don't keep too many tabs on their recruits. I even checked to see if they bugged me." Heero answered nonchalantly, rolling his shoulders back into place.

"At least you're still on our side." Quatre smiled, gingerly touching his chest wound.

:::

She groaned angrily, tugging lightly on the IVs to move out of her way so she could lie on her side. It was past midnight and everyone had already gone home. There were only a couple nurses available that spent more time chattering incessantly about trivial issues than checking on the patients. Relena made a mental note to inform Sally of her nightly staff.

The stitching on her chest made it difficult for her to move too much, but she needed to sleep on her side. She needed to get comfortable, but the hospital bed wasn't offering anything other than stiff muscles and locked joints.

She knew she wasn't alone. Somewhere in the darkness of the room were eyes watching her, but she was trying her best to ignore it. She didn't know when he had come in, but it still wasn't surprising that he was still around. She had had an eventful twenty four hours.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, finally giving in to the blackness of her room.

"Standing guard." Answered the stoic voice.

"Une has two Preventers outside my door as well as Quatre's. I think I'm okay."

He didn't answer. She could hear his light breaths in the darkness. She felt her eyes grow heavy from the silence he gave her. It was calming. She didn't want him to go, but she had to be selfless a little.

"Go home, Heero." She whispered, feeling sleep consume her slowly.

She heard light footsteps move across the tile floor and her mattress dip at his weight when she finally gave in.


	9. Chapter 9

**Enjoy**

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Chapter Nine

Relena had returned to work a week later, only because Heero forced her to stay in bed for a few more days. She was ready to return to her office the next day, but Sally decided it best to keep her for another day to make sure she was healing properly. The next couple of days she was monitored closely by Heero, who made her lie in bed the entire time. She realized that the bolder she acted, the less Heero was concerned. So she spent most of her time gritting her teeth against the pain in her chest and refused any painkillers so she could coax her overprotective bodyguard into letting her return to work.

Now that she was sitting upright in her overly expensive leather chair she wished she was back in bed. If Heero was her guard for the work hours she would subtly suggest taking her work home, however, Wufei had volunteered and it was taking a toll on her stamina. By lunch time, she was exhausted from the pain and also the snide remarks that were randomly thrown her way. She wasn't in the mood to argue with him although she strongly wished she could.

She couldn't ask the Chinese pilot for her medication either since he would be reporting to Heero. She had wished Duo or Trowa were her guards, but they were only part time Preventers. Although Preventers were planning an attack, there wasn't much for them to do until it came down to it. Trowa and Duo were requested to go back home until further notified.

What was also causing her pain was the fact that Heero had finally informed her of his feelings, but things hadn't changed. Not one bit. He was still in the shadows, hardly making any kind of physical contact. She had hoped that now their feelings were out in the open that they could move forward. Throughout the week as she would lie in bed, she would occasionally brush her finger tips against his hand or subtly suggest him staying in bed with her. However, he never seemed to notice.

Maybe subtly wasn't his strong suit.

She sighed, trying not to make much sound as she exhaled. She didn't want to draw unwelcomed attention from Wufei. But, like Heero, he noticed almost everything.

"I guess I should ask you want's wrong."

"Nothing." She snapped.

She needed to get rid of him. She wanted at least a minute alone without company.

"Agent Chang, its lunch time, but I'm a little caught up in my paperwork. Would you be horribly offended if I ask you to get me something from the cafeteria?"

He snorted, but didn't reply as he stood up. Sometimes she wondered if he really did hate her or if it was just an act. He couldn't hate all women since he married Sally Po. It took everyone by surprise when they showed up one day from a mission as a married couple. No one even knew they were dating.

Once the door shut behind him, Relena leaned back in her chair as far as she could hoping the throbbing that was becoming more intense would ease. She should have stashed some of the painkillers in her purse before they left this morning.

After a few minutes, a knock came on her door. She looked at it confusedly. Wufei never knocked and her secretary would have informed her of any visitors before they made their way to her door. She had to contemplate admitting anyone in. She was alone without a bodyguard for a few minutes. Being around Heero had turned her paranoid, but she did have good reason to be. Mariemaia wasn't the last person to try and abduct her.

She lowered her hand to the small panic button under her desk, courtesy of Heero's overprotectiveness. "Come in."

Charles Cater walked in, showing off his white teeth as usual. She had to suppress a groan, removing her finger from the button. He wasn't dangerous, just annoying.

"How are you feeling, Minister?" He made his way to her visitor chair.

She put on her best smile, the same one she had used on Heero for the past week. "I'll live. What bring you here today, Chairman?"

"Just wanted to make sure you were feeling all right after the attack. I was shocked to hear that there had been a terrorist attack at the mansion. I had made sure no one would know about it unless they were invited."

"It wasn't your fault. Someone must have let it slip. No one is perfect."

"I would have to disagree with you." He smiled widely when she cocked an eyebrow. "If I could be so bold, but I think you are perfect."

She had to consciously keep herself from scoffing at him. That was the most ludicrous thing she had heard in her entire life. She didn't smile at him, "I don't tolerate ass kissing, Mr. Carter. I am very busy, so if you have some business to discuss with me now is the time."

That wiped the smile off his face just as fast as if she had punched him. "Right, Miss Darlian, I apologize. I actually wanted to inform you that the meeting Wednesday will be taking place in the colonies. I offered to lend my home in L4 for it."

"I haven't received any mail about the change, Mr. Carter."

"No, not yet. The change happened before I came here. Also, and this is strictly a professional request, but I would like to give you a tour of L4. Would you be willing to come up a day beforehand?"

She blinked slowly; the pain in her chest bloomed fiercely. Sometimes she wished she had more backbone so she could simply say no without reason and ban him from her office. His flattery made her bad mood worse. She wasn't much for it. Dorothy had taken all of the pleasantries from it with her sarcastic tones.

"I will have to check my schedule, Chairman. May I get back to you later?"

"Absolutely. I hope you agree to it. I have my own security team, but you may bring along someone from your _Preventers_ if you wish."

She nodded, turning her eyes back to the paperwork. Slowly she counted, waiting for him to make his way from her office. If he didn't leave soon she was sure to press the panic button and then he would have to be faced with Heero. But, she would really hate to disrupt his sleep for someone like Charles.

Once she reached to twenty, she heard the latch of her door click and she exhaled heavily. She wasn't able to get too comfortable though as her door opened again. For only a second, she feared Charles had come back and her finger lingered over the panic button again. Wufei walked in with a small paper bag and bottle of water. She smiled a genuine smile at him probably for the first time ever. He cocked an eyebrow at her as he handed her the food and went back to his miniature desk.

To her surprise, the door opened again revealing Heero. His face was expressionless as always, but his stride, the way he moved into her office and to her desk told her that he was furious.

"You're not going." He said, glaring at her from the other side of her desk.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You're not going to L4 with Carter." He reiterated.

"I wasn't planning on it."

He didn't move, still staring at her as if she was protesting against him.

"How did you know that he asked me to go with him?" She frowned, crossing her arms over her chest.

Heero simply pointed up, not removing his gaze from her at all. Relena followed his finger and saw, to her dismay, that there was a round camera hanging from her ceiling. Of course he had wired her office. Sometimes she thought he had cameras in her room too. He would dispute it that it was for her safety, but this was a little too much.

"You need to remove that. I deserve some privacy, Heero."

"No. I'm not going to remove Preventer security equipment."

"I highly doubt Une would have approved of a camera in my office."

Wufei snorted, but didn't feel the need to comment.

"She approved of it a while ago." Heero said simply. He was acting as if this wasn't a breach of privacy and insulting to Relena. Of course, Heero never thought he was invading her privacy which was strange to her because he would have destroyed a building if someone had intruded on his private time.

She stared at him for several minutes, hoping she could sway his decision. The only sounds in the room were coming from Wufei typing furiously away on his laptop. If she wasn't completely insulted and embarrassed by Heero watching her work she would have been daydreaming about his eyes. She loved his dark blue eyes and the flicker of emotions she was able to witness when she stared long enough.

"So, did anyone know that Quatre dated Charles Carter's sister for a while?" Wufei asked suddenly.

"I don't see how that's relevant to anything at all." Heero said, eyes still intent on Relena.

"Well, I don't like that guy at all and he certainly doesn't like Preventers. He's from L4 but moved to Brussels around the same time you left. He also has made a few statements against Quatre and the Winner Corps., saying that it wasn't for the good of the public to follow someone so young and inexperienced." He paused, scrolling the screen down as his eyes moved back and forth, "He's also made some kind of insinuations that Quatre may have been a Gundam pilot."

"And?"

"I've been digging around for some dirt on him and happened to come across this." Wufei said triumphantly, turning his laptop so Heero and Relena could see. In black and white was a picture of Charles standing next to a young woman that was nearly identical to him and both clad in Libertatum jackets. Relena didn't know where or how Wufei had managed to find this kind of evidence, but she didn't care. Now she knew how assassins had known she and Quatre would be at the gala.

Heero turned his eyes back onto Relena again. "You're going to L4."


	10. Chapter 10

**My deepest apologies for the delay! My life got pretty crazy for a few days and I suffered from writer's block so I was stuck on 200 words for a long time! Sorry! Hope you like this chapter.**

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Chapter Ten

Heero had packed her bags for her as she slaved away on the remaining paperwork. She had a speech to give at the upcoming meeting and she still had some budget files to look over for her Mars Terraformation. She had remained silent once Heero demanded her appearance on L4.

After Heero's change of mind, they had sat down and discussed that it would be best for her to pretend not to know anything at all about Liberatutm and that Heero was going to accompany her as her bodyguard. She had to grit her teeth when she realized he was right. She wanted to help Preventers when she could and now was the perfect opportunity. She felt a little ridiculous that Heero had to pack for her, but she didn't know what else to do. Packing was also tedious and she couldn't spare five minutes to instruct him on what she wanted to take.

Besides, he'd seen her in most of her clothes so he should have some idea what to pack.

Relena was typing away, nearly finished with her speech when her home office opened. She spared a quick glance then returned to work. Although he had made a good point, she still wasn't pleased with him. Heero sat down in front of her desk, elbows resting on his knees and watched her. Although Relena could feel his intent stare, she refused to give in. A battle of wills had ensued.

Ten minutes had passed and she wasn't even sure he had blinked. Still, she wasn't going to talk to him until she was finished with her work. Her chest ached and her back was stiff, but she was going to finish this speech now.

"You're all packed." Heero finally said after another five minutes.

"Thanks." She said shortly.

"How's the speech coming along?" He tried again.

She didn't reply, only because she was done. The last word typed. File saved. Computer now in sleep mode. She stood up, stretching only one arm above her head. Heero stood as well, shoving his hands in his pockets. Relena had to admit that she was enjoying giving him the cold shoulder. He'd done it to her so often so she didn't feel bad about it.

She walked out of her office and straight to her bedroom where she tried to close the door quickly in his face. He was, of course, too fast and was able to sneak in before she was even completely across the threshold. She sighed heavily and walked around him to fish out her pajamas. It was coming close to midnight now and she had to be at the space port in five hours. Heero had cleared his throat as she walked by. She nodded but closed the bathroom door behind her.

She was upset with him as well about not moving forward. Usually when you tell someone that your feelings are reciprocated you both mutually make the next step to do something about it. Relena didn't claim to be an expert about relationships since she had never had one. She knew there had been a few boys interested in her when she was in school, but she didn't care. Of course, once Heero showed up, there was absolutely no hope for anyone else. She was hoping that now would be the time to move forward.

When she reemerged from the bathroom, Heero was still standing by the door. He had his eyes closed and arms crossed over his chest. It was time for them to talk. He always started his serious conversations that way. She tried to be quiet as she walked over to her bed.

"Relena." Heero growled.

She stopped in mid stride. She suppressed a sigh at the command in his tone. There was always dominance in his voice and she was nearly immune to it, except when it was directed towards her.

"Are you doing all right?"

"Yes." She lied.

His reaction was immediate. His eyes opened and his arms uncrossed, grim expression clearly visible. He wanted to say something to her. More than likely it was going to be about tomorrow's mission.

"Are you nervous about tomorrow?"

"Of course. I don't feel comfortable going to spend extra time with a terrorist that is against a close friend of mine."

"Quatre will be fine. He's capable of handling himself in this situation. You don't need to worry about his safety at all. What you need to worry about it yourself. I know you never do, but this is the time. Even though I'm going to be there to protect you, Libertatum is stealthier than Duo so they'll more than likely try something." Heero said calmly.

She walked the rest of the way to her bed before responding. "You're not confident that you'll be able to keep me safe the entire time, then?"

He didn't respond. She settled on her bed as he began to walk towards her. She knew he wouldn't admit that he might fail. He never admitted failure until it was done. If there was a chance, he still took it as if he would surely be the victor. That was one of the things she loved about him. When he was so confident, she felt as if she herself could take on the world.

Now, she just needed ten seconds of courage. She needed courage to start the conversation. It wasn't relevant to what they had been discussing, but she needed to know. She inhaled deeply as Heero joined her on the bed. He draped his arms over his knees and watched the floor, as if it were moving.

"Heero," She whispered, fighting with the volume of her voice, "What did you mean when you told me my feelings were mutual?"

"You said you love me. I feel the same way. I thought it was clear?"

She laughed lightly, almost inaudibly. "So what's going to happen now?"

He shrugged, still looking at the floor. "I'm not sure what to do. I've only been in love with you and it's taken since I was fifteen to tell you. Maybe it'll take a few more years to make it move forward."

She laughed loudly this time, falling back onto her bed. Every so often, he would say something that she found absolutely hilarious, even if it were truthful.

"You need to get some sleep, Relena."

"You're right. Are you going to stay with me, Heero?"

"Hn."

"Thanks." She smiled. She had grown fond of his half committal grunt. Most people thought he meant no or he was unwillingly agreeing to something, but she knew better. She knew it was him agreeing, but wanted to keep his stoic and unattached front up. Perhaps he was excited or nervous, but the indifference was important for him.

That night, she was able to fall asleep smiling, knowing Heero was lying next to her willingly.

There was some sort of ringing that was entering her dreams. She could feel her body struggling to wake up. However, she could tell Heero was already awake and moving. His mind could always process things much faster than her. War habits die hard.

"Yuy." She heard his morning growl say.

Slowly, her mind was able to process that the ringing wasn't in her dreams. She slowly realized that it was Heero's phone and that he was now talking to someone.

"I am." He said, his voice growing a little stronger.

Relena raised her head slightly off the pillow, trying to listen to the other part of the conversation.

"What? I already approved this with you. You can't change it now."

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**Sorry for any grammar issues. I was trying to get this out ASAP. **


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Relena was sitting up now. Her eyes only half open, but she knew the phone call had been important and needed her full attention. Currently, Heero was sitting on the edge of the bed, head buried in his hands out of frustration. He had hung up the phone abruptly, making Relena jump slightly.

"Heero?"

"That was Lady Une. She's changed your security for L4."

Relena's half opened eyes popped wide at that. Heero wasn't going to be joining her for the tour _or_ the meeting? "Why?"

"She needs me to help execute the infiltration. Since I've been to 06E3 I will know more of the stable exits and entrances than anyone."

"Who's the replacement?" She bit down hard on her bottom lip. Une wouldn't let just anyone replace Heero, but she didn't think they would nearly as impeccable as him.

"A junior Preventer named Claudio. I've met him before. He'll keep you safe the entire time."

"I really don't feel comfortable with someone I don't know. Why can't it be Duo or Trowa?" She hung her head, "Or even Wufei?"

She heard him sigh heavily, "They're just as crucial to the infiltration as I am. Une needs all of us there. I trust her to make the best call to protect you."

"If you say so."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, trying to digest the drastic change in plans. There wasn't any point in going back to sleep. She had acquired three hours of sleep, but now with this change of plan, her nerves had hold of her and she would toss and turn for the remaining two hours that she was allowed. She removed the blankets and walked to the bathroom, still trying to digest that Heero wasn't going to be near her this time around. She had never met this Claudio before and she certainly wouldn't trust him. Even though Heero said he was good, she didn't feel this new man was going to have the same loyalty as the others.

:::

Heero drove Relena to the space port before he was needed back at the Preventer Headquarters. He said it was safety measures that he delivers her to Claudio himself, but Relena knew that he didn't want to separate from her either. Ever since they were seventeen, he had never been away from her when she had important outer space meetings. He was always there, even if it meant he met up with her on the shuttle.

Not this time.

The car ride was silent. She had seen out of the corner of her eye that Heero continued to open his mouth as if to say something. There wasn't really anything to say. He couldn't make any more promises that he hasn't already made.

Heero pulled the car into the port, stopping only when he saw Claudio emerge from the shuttle. Slowly, he walked to the side of the car and let her out. She saw the two men exchange nods and Claudio walked back inside. Heero pulled her suitcase out of the back of the car, but didn't urge her forward. It was almost like he was regretting having her go. This was a high risk operation and he wouldn't be there. There was a high chance she would be kidnapped or shot and no Gundam pilot was going to be there. All of the other pilots protected her as if they were protecting their own wives/girlfriends. They didn't think of her as just the Vice Foreign Minister or former queen of the ESUN, but as a friend and love interest of their own comrade. That was why she trusted them all so much more.

"Relena…"Heero's voice was rough.

She turned on her heels, trying her best to smile at him. She wanted to show him that she wasn't worried, even though her hands were shaking. She had clasped her hands together in the car so he wouldn't see. It was always useless because that man saw everything.

"I'll be all right, Heero. Just hurry and infiltrate before the meeting tomorrow. I think that's when he might attack." Her voice cracked slightly, but she refused to notice it.

He nodded, pushing her forward now. Her suitcase was placed in the shuttle, because Heero had packed her briefcase inside. Relena had a sneaking suspicion that he might have bugged all of her belongings. Relena stood close to him, taking in his scent as if it would be the last time. Of all the years she had known him, never had she grown old of his scent. It was always tantalizing. It such a manly smell, even when he was fifteen. She sighed heavily, slightly lifting her foot to take the step into the shuttle.

Arms were around her suddenly. A hard chest was pressed against hers and she felt his hot breath on her cheeks a second before her lips her trapped in his. Their first kiss was like this, brought on suddenly, but this one was longer. She counted the seconds as they kissed. Once he forced her lips open and slipped his tongue into her mouth, she lost count and reveled in his taste. She felt shivers go down her spine when his tongue flicked the roof of her mouth and she couldn't suppress a moan. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

"Sorry Agent Yuy, but it's time for us to depart." Claudio said suddenly from behind them.

Relena regretfully released him when she felt his arms slacken around her waist. Her corners of her lips curved upwards slightly when she stepped back. Heero was giving his signature death glare to the junior Preventer and she felt sorry for him. Everyone knows not to interrupt Heero with whatever he's doing, unless it's Duo. The braided pilot has received more death threats than Relena and he never seems to mind. She saw Claudio cower back into the shuttle, but the moment was over. They were going to part ways now, but there was still the satisfaction of knowing that their 'relationship' was going to move forward.

He was always her source of strength. Something so simple as him being near or a few kinder words brought her so much confidence, but now that he had actually kissed her, she felt like she could take on the world and all of outer space. She could deal with Charles and all of Libertatum now without any fear. This was going to be easy to do and once Preventers arrived, all she would have to do was sit back and let them take over. All she really had to do was play dumb and accept everything Charles said. He would let something slip. There were still rumors about the nuclear weapon and hopefully she could attain some more information about it.

As the shuttle pulled out of the harbor, she looked out of the window, surprised to see Heero still there. He was leaning against the car, arms crossed over her chest and eyes glaring into her window. Claudio sat beside her silently. She waved quickly to Heero, just as the shuttle gained speed and started to lift off.

She smiled to herself, leaning back into the seat. She was about to try to get more sleep when she felt something press against her temple. It was cold and hard, but she didn't need to see it to know that Claudio was holding a gun to her head.

She sighed, hanging her head and simply said, "Libertatum?"

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**A.N. Almost done with this story! Just a few more chapters then I can focus solely on Picture of Success. I hope everyone is still enjoying this story, though!**


	12. Chapter 12

**I'm sooooooooo sorry for such a delayed update! I sprained my wrist and was incapable of typing correctly for a while. Don't give up on me! I promise to finish this story before too long.**

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Chapter Twelve

She didn't panic. This was all too commonplace for her and after all the extensive practices Heero had put her through in case anything like this happened again made her feel at ease. It wasn't much different than the man she loved pretending to be a terrorist. Heero had been quite stern about her not panicking and doing anything stupid that would get her killed. He was also very firm that she do as they said until he came to get her. She did as Claudio demanded, which wasn't much since they were still on the shuttle. He mostly told her not to try anything and that he had removed all of the Preventer trackers. Relena thought that was ridiculous since that would alert Heero immediately and he would be on their trail much faster. Obviously Claudio had never done a kidnapping before.

He kept the gun aimed at her, but she remained unfazed. Hell, she was fifteen when Heero aimed a gun at her for the first time and she hadn't panicked. She was fifteen when she accepted death and now wasn't any different.

"May I ask what the plans are?" She asked calmly, leaning back her seat slightly.

Claudio simply grunted and continued to stare at the TV ahead. She shrugged, deciding to try to get some rest before their arrival. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep deeply, but resting her eyes was just as good. Towards the final days of the war she ran on zero sleep and she was sure she could function normally while in this situation. She had only hoped that it would take less time than Mariemaia's coup de tat.

:::

Heero paced Une's office. He was still on the road when he was alerted that all of the trackers had been disconnected from Relena's luggage. His usual stoic face was beat red from the rage he felt. Although his expression was still blank, the blood had rushed to his cheeks and everyone knew he was in a fit of rage. Commander Une was refusing to take any kind of immediate action. She still wanted to plan, but Heero was beyond planning. He knew Duo would be right behind him if he said "go". Quatre was still relatively calm, but he was still making mistakes while planning. The stunt from Epyon de Telos wasn't anything concerning; since the blonde haired man knew Zechs was undercover. Libertatum, however, seemed different. Wufei had been sure to inform Quatre and the other pilots about the Carters involvement with the revolt group.

"Heero, please calm down. We need your full attention for this."

"I've already given you everything I know. I need to go. Now." He said, still sounding unfazed.

"Miss Relena will be all right. You taught her what to do in these kinds of situations. Besides, the sooner we have everything planned the sooner we can infiltrate."

"I already know what we're suppose to do. I can lead Duo and Wufei, along with some back up into the colony. Quatre, you need to find the control room and find the nuclear weapon. Trowa will slide in as a new recruit and get as close to the Carters as he can."

"That's always the plan." Duo said, tilting his chair back.

"It always works." Heero snapped.

"I think Trowa should be the one to find the weapon. I could go in as bait. I know Sarah would like to see me again and I can make myself announced." Quatre suggested.

"Fine. You'll need a bodyguard, though. A billionaire doesn't walk around without some kind of protection even if he was a Gundam pilot."

"All right, I'll take a couple more Preventers."

"Is that it? Can we go now?" Heero asked, gripping the back of a chair tightly.

Quatre sighed heavily. "We need to clear it with Une first."

Commander Lady Une had been sitting silently behind her desk as the pilots argued amongst themselves. She knew it was better to remain silent and let them figure it out instead of trying to coax them differently. They were better soldiers than her anyway, there was no denying it. She was good for strategies, but left most of the fighting up to them. She was a soldier for Treize, but she mostly stood by his side and dealt out his orders. Even when he went into battle the last time, she was to stay behind and command. She also knew that Quatre was the brain of the five of them and if he approved of the plan then she wasn't really needed to help.

She had heard the entire plan, but to make it official, she had to hear it back and needed a hardcopy. Hell, with these last minute ideas and the now kidnapping of the Vice Foreign Minister, she would accept a handwritten copy from Duo, who had the handwriting of a five year old.

Trowa handed her the paper as Quatre began to speak.

"Infiltration of the colony 06E3 will start immediately. Senior Preventers will be as follows: Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, and Wufei Chang will lead the takeover coming in from the south entrance with volunteer Preventers. Trowa Barton will come in from the east entrance in search of the rumored nuclear weapon. And I, Quatre Rabebra Winner will be the decoy. I will be guarded by volunteer Preventers, Alec and Eric and we will arrive from the north entrance."

Une simply nodded, signed Trowa's draft and watched as the five young men walked out. Even though they would be fine without her, she still felt the need to join them. If something went awry, she would be left to blame. As Lady Une walked down the Preventer corridors, she called for all available Preventers and told them to rendezvous at the space port immediately. Regardless of the Gundam pilots being experts, there was going to be a war. Five young men wouldn't be capable of fighting off all of the rumored Libertatum members.

Heero was surprised how quickly everyone organized the takeover. He counted on all the other Preventers slowing them down by an hour or so. Instead, his shuttle took off only a half hour after Une's approval. Duo was sprawled out across an aisle of seats, talking to whoever would listen. Wufei was hunched over a laptop in the front of the shuttle. Although, Duo was nervous, he still continued to be obnoxious. Heero knew that it was just to hide the nerves and excitement. Terrorist threats were almost a daily occurrence for them, but it never escalated into something like this. Heero wasn't about to admit that Libertatum were actually a well thought out and discretely organization, but they were. They hadn't caught wind of the group until it was almost too late. He was lucky that he had been accepted at all. He didn't tell Preventers that the new recruits actually went through a thorough screening process. He was fearful at first that Libertatum would discover he was an ex Gundam pilot. Whether they found out or not, he never knew. They never said anything about it and the majority of people who do find out always comment on his previous occupation.

He was staring out of the window, trying to fight off the adrenaline. He was shaking his leg, wishing the time to go by faster when Duo sat down next to him.

"I wouldn't worry about the Princess so much, buddy."

Heero only cleared his throat as a response.

"I mean, you didn't know that this was going to happen. Une didn't know either and she feels horrible about sending that Claudio guy now. You taught her not to overreact to this kind of situation, right?"

He nodded, keeping his gaze on the stars.

"She'll be fine. You're the best, Heero."

"Hn."

"All right, I'll leave you to your thoughts, but I just wanted to get you to stop worrying." Duo patted him on the back roughly and walked back to his aisle of seats.

:::

Claudio restrained her the moment the shuttle landed. Relena wasn't quite sure why when she wasn't resisting whatsoever and even told him she would do as he said. Luckily, he hadn't pulled her arms behind her back so she was still able to walk with some dignity. She wasn't sure where in the colony she was, but she knew it wasn't a main entrance just from the sight of all the construction still going on. She was pushed by Claudio every so often when she was to turn right or left, but he still was silent towards her. Relena was starting to think he had to take her hostage against his will. Usually the captors would taunt her or abuse her in some way, but not him. Either he was fearful of his leader in Libertatum or of Heero's wrath.

Finally, Claudio put a hand on her shoulder, making her stop in her tracks. She was staring at a large metal door. There was no handle, but after surveying it quickly she saw the touchscreen. Claudio moved in front of her and placed his hand on it. But the door didn't open. He touched it again. And again. Finally, he removed the restraints from her and forced her hand on the screen.

Immediately, the door slid open.

She really didn't know what to expect. She knew that behind that door was either going to be a large and expensive office or a cell-like place to keep her until they were ready for her. Once her eyes adjusted to the light, she finally saw the former.

"Minister Darlian, I'm so happy you could join us." Charles said from inside the room.

Claudio pushed her to move forward and now Relena could see the whole excessive décor of the room. It was almost repugnant for an office to be decorated like so. And the fragrance of the room was giving her a headache. She'd almost prefer a cell instead of this.

"So, this is the girl that all the pilots protect?" A woman said from the corner of the room.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Heero's unit walked silently down the corridors. The walls and floors constructed completely of metal didn't echo any of their footsteps. They were stealthy and had been completely undetected. Ear buds connected to their radios kept them undercover. They hadn't encountered any security either, which was curious for everyone other than Heero. He knew that Libertatum allowed anyone and everyone to join them on the newly constructed colony. No one was going to give them any problems until they tried to get into the main corridors that led to Libertatum Headquarters. An identification badge, which Heero still carried, allowed them inside anywhere in the colony. However, once they were spotted, even Heero's badge wasn't going to stop the other members from firing on them.

They were wearing Preventer uniforms after all.

"Yuy, how much further until the Headquarters?" Duo tried to ask professionally.

Not many of the Preventer members knew that they had been the Gundam pilots. Only the original founders knew who they really were and were quick to promote the pilots as to hide their background within the ranks. Trowa was in charge of background checks and Duo was busy with trainings. Une had given them strict orders not to let on that they had been comrades for years. If anyone had ever asked, they met during training. Nothing else.

Preventers had worked hard to cover up the identities of the Gundam pilots. They were still celebrated and called heroes, but being pilots weren't what they wanted to be known for only. They needed privacy and a chance to do more for the ESUN.

"We're almost there, Maxwell."

:::

Relena was ushered towards the lavish couch that was directing in front of the woman. Her black hair was braided down her back that could almost rival Duo's. It took a few seconds for her to recognize her, but once she looked into the black eyes she knew it was Charles' sister. Still calm and collected, Relena sat on the couch and gave the woman a polite smile. Regardless of being held captive, she always thought it best to keep good manners.

She saw from her peripheral vision Charles standing up and walking over to join them. She knew that any fake pleasantries they were giving wouldn't last any longer now. These people were members of Libertatum and no one seemed to know who hostile they actually were. Relena knew that Charles was not a man to take lightly. He had an underlying power that made her uncomfortable. She was never able to figure out why she didn't trust him, but now seeing him in his proper surroundings she could see it. He was dangerous.

"Vice Foreign Minister," he said, his weight dipping the couch slightly. Instinctively, she moved away but made eye contact. "How was your flight in?"

"What do you want from me, Charles?" Relena snapped.

He laughed, settling into the couch deeper and crossed his legs. "You always preferred to get straight to the point. At least we can make this quick and easy for everyone."

"Everyone?"

"We're not after you, Minister. You're bait. What we need from you is pretty simple. We just need you're pretty face and that powerful voice you have to make our demands possible."

"What demands?"

This time Sarah spoke, "You are usually heavily protected, correct?" Relena nodded. "We know that you have highly skilled guards with you 24/7 and we have a sneaking suspicion that a few of them are the infamous Gundam pilots."

Relena didn't respond. She had signed an agreement years ago that she would never reveal the identity of the pilots, regardless of it being a life or death situation.

"We didn't think you would talk. Most of the people we've taken haven't spoken a word of it. Sometimes we think they knew who they were and others honestly didn't know." Charles spoke again. "We've taken a few guesses, but they are pretty good at keeping quiet. Even when Sarah dated Representative Winner, we thought he was one. He never said anything about it, though."

"He's too nice to have been a pilot." Sarah said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Whoever destroyed the original 06E3 was ruthless."

Relena wanted to laugh. She knew what really happened and, although Quatre really was a genuinely gentle natured person, even he could be ruthless if need be. The Zero system was too strong for him at the time of the attack and he was horrified that he had gotten so out of control. But it was done. There wasn't anything he could do to change what he had done and the only comforting thought he had about it all was that there were no citizens on the colony.

"I don't quite understand what your demands are, though?"

"It's very simple, actually. All you have to do is make a very public broadcast over the entire ESUN and colonies and inform _all_ Gundam pilots to come to our headquarters. After that you will be released unharmed. Resist at all and there will be consequences, like always. I'm sure you know the routine, Ms. Darlian. You've been kidnapped enough."

Relena hung her head, trying to think of a way to distract them. "Why do you think I would know the pilots or even have any control over them?"

"You're the Vice Foreign Minister and former Queen. Everyone listens to you." Sarah said simply.

Relena knew that wasn't a good reason at all, but she really couldn't risk arguing with them. "When should I make the announcement?"

Charles smiled maliciously, "Glad to see you're cooperating. I'll give you a few minutes to conduct a quick speech. I've always admired how strong your speeches are. You can deliver very well; another reason I chose you to be the hostage."

She hung her head and prayed that Heero and the others would forgive her someday.

:::

They could see the artificial daylight now. They were almost to the main corridors now. Duo, whose stealth level was expert, went ahead to wipe out any obstacles. He hadn't reported anything in several minutes which meant to Heero that the coast was clear. Once the corridor floor became carpet, Heero lowered his gun and gave the signal for all the others to relax. He heard a few of the volunteers give out a heavy sigh. Most of these Preventers had yet to experience anything on the field. Duo was always pretty good about making their training as real life as possible. However, the psyche could grasp training obstacles better than life threatening. He knew they were pumped full of adrenaline.

"Hey Heero, you might want to come up here and look at this." Duo's voice said in his ear full of static.

"What is it?"

"Get up here, man."

Heero signaled all the Preventers to follow suit and they rushed out of the corridor. The large metal doors slid open, revealing the artificial daylight and chemically grown grass. It didn't take long for Heero to realize what Duo was referring to. A large crowd was gathered around a large television screen, not unlike the one he had seen in Tokyo once before.

The screen was full of the white static and everyone in the crowd was murmuring. Heero wasn't close enough to hear what they were saying, but he noticed that everyone had stopped their daily activities. His six months in the colony taught him that nothing but Libertatum news stopped them in their tracks. Anticipation coursed through him suddenly, hoping Relena's whereabouts would be revealed.

"I heard someone say that Libertatum is going to make an announcement." Duo said quietly in Heero's ear. "I hope it's about Relena."

"Hn."

Just then, the quiet murmur of the crowd hushed and the static grew louder and the picture slowly came into focus. Seconds later, a figure appeared on the screen. Relena was on the screen, clearly held in restraints and her once flushed skin now ghostly white.

Slowly, she raised her gaze up to and opened her mouth a few times, trying to find the right words.

Heero clenched his fists together tightly, turning his knuckles white. He could feel his short cut finger nails dig in to the palm of his hand, probably drawing blood. No one had noticed the sudden appearance of the Preventers yet and they were thankful for that.

"I, Relena Darlian, have been taken hostage by the revolt group Libertatum. I am safe and intact…."

* * *

**I think I'll end the chapter here. I'll update soon though! **


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Relena's hands were tightly restrained behind her back, but she refused to allow the look of pain cross her face. She wanted the people to know that Libertatum had not won just yet. Although she was giving in to their demands, she was not going to let them think they won entirely. The former Gundam pilots could scheme a new plan as they walked towards the Headquarters. She had seen them do such things before. She knew she would have to word her speech carefully if she wanted Heero and the others to understand that this was the best option.

"I, Relena Darlian, have been taken hostage by the revolt group Libertatum. I am safe and intact for the time being. Like all hostile groups, they have made demands to which I must use any source of influence I have to meet those demands." She paused, lowering her eyes from the screen, "They have demanded that _all_ Gundam pilots come forth. The pilots will have until 2100 hours to arrive at the colony 06E3 or Libertatum will disclose their nuclear weapon, which will be targeted towards the Earth."

:::

"Oh man!" Duo yelled, throwing his arms up over his head, "I knew they really did have one! Trowa better hurry up and find it before we have to attack."

"He better find it before 2100. We're turning ourselves in." Heero said quietly, as not to draw the other Preventers attention.

"You say what?" Duo's mouth hung open slightly at Heero's new orders.

"Relena thinks it'll be the best way for us to take down Libertatum. We'll have to go in."

"Man, whatever you say."

"All Preventers must return to the north exit immediately." Une ordered suddenly over their radio.

Just as quickly and quietly as they came, the group disappeared back into the metal corridors without being spotted by any civilians.

:::

Qutare hadn't left the Preventer's shuttle yet. He wanted to give the others time to find their way through the colony before he went out into the public. It was as soon as he was about to leave that Relena appeared on the screen, startling him into immobility. He and his 'bodyguards' stood, speechless as she demanded the surrender of the Gundam pilots. Alec and Eric didn't know that he had been Gundam pilot 04 so he wasn't quite sure how to give them the slip and go to the Headquarters immediately. It was the best tactic.

The door to his shuttle opened suddenly. Before he could comprehend who had just entered, he was pushed aside. His radio ear bud buzzed with static and he heard Lady Une's voice twice as it echoed in her radio and next to him.

"What's the new plan?" Quatre asked.

"We'll have to surrender. You could tell Relena will actually be harmed we go about it differently."

:::

Trowa wasn't nearly as stealthy was Duo, but he truly was more flexible, giving him more leverage to hide and escape quickly. He had run into several guards, but had never been completely spotted. He assumed the high security in the east corridor was due to the location of the nuclear weapon. Currently, he would have given anything just to have a mobile suit and wipe out all of them. Peace, however, had taken away all weapons so he was forced to sneak through like the God of Death himself.

He finally caught sight of the most heavily guarded door when Relena's voice echoed throughout the corridor. His calm and cool demeanor nearly crumpled when she asked for the Gundam pilots to surrender. All confidentiality would be thrown out the window. He knew Libertatum would make this into a large ESUN spectacle. All of their privacy would be gone, if they survived the assaults.

"All Preventers must return to the north exit immediately." He heard Une's voice demand retreat. Still clinging to the rafters, he swung his way silently back to the shuttle. He just couldn't shake the feeling that the surrender would destroy more than their identities.

:::

Wufei Chang was behind Heero and Duo. He saw the entire broadcast, but remained silent. The Gundam pilots were to surrender. He knew they would be exposed sooner or later. They had caused too much havoc during the war to not be hunted, at least by someone. Mostly, the public wanted Relena, Vice Foreign Minister and former Queen of the World, dead. He swore his life to protect her, even though he thought he could manage the ESUN better. Heero had faith in her, so she must have some idea of how to handle things. It was only a matter of time for civilians to want blood of the pilots. He knew humans were too bloodthirsty to not want revenge. Whatever had triggered Libertatum's anger was surely caused by the war and all of their careless fighting.

They had destroyed more with their suits than they had anticipated.

He was one to admit that the pilots, all of the pilots, had let their emotions get in the way of their fighting. They had been blindsided at times because of new accusations or developments from the Alliance, OZ, Romafeller, White Fang, and then finally ESUN . Of course, confusion was the strongest emotion they had experienced throughout the war. They never knew which side was on theirs.

Humans are fickle creatures to begin with, but once war was upon them, the fickleness only intensified.

Une calls over the radio for all Preventers to fall back. A new strategy is needed now. Wufei couldn't have agreed more.

:::

Zechs Merquise, or Milliardo Peacecraft, was already a colony away from 06E3 when his dear little sister made her announcement. The moment her broadcast was over, he boarded a shuttle. He made no attempt to hide his arrival. Most citizens still assumed he was dead. Only Preventers knew of his still living being, but he had signed and agreed with the confidentiality agreement as well as the other pilots. It was mere coincidence that he left Mars for a small trading on the colony just a short distance away from the hostile L4 colony.

His arrival was uneventful until he walked into the Headquarters. Guns were aimed directly at him as he announced his surrender. Surprisingly, he was kindly escorted to the top floor, where he was to be interrogated.

Zechs only decided to surrender to check on the true wellbeing of his sister. He rather liked being dead, but he always had kept an eye on her, even from Mars. Besides, he knew Heero Yuy was her new protector so his concern was almost nonexistent. Until now.

"So, you're back from the dead. Should I call you Milliardo or Zechs?" Charles asked from the corner of the office.

"Zechs will be just fine." His raspy voice answered nonchalantly. Zechs scanned the room hastily; spotting Relena slouched in an armchair, restrained, but unscathed.

"I'm sorry; I always got confused with everyone from the war. So many people had different names for their different personalities." Charles said maliciously.

"My names do not determine the stability of my sanity."

"Yes, well… what do I owe the pleasure of meeting the Lightning Count in person?"

"My sister said your demands are for the Gundam pilots to come forth. I am here as a former Gundam pilot."

Charles laughed loudly. His laughter was so malicious that it startled Relena back from her deep thoughts.

"Milliardo…" She whispered.

"Zechs, you are not an original Gundam pilot. We have requested that the _five_ pilots show themselves. I do appreciate you coming here. It does show a certain dedication for your little sister." Sarah replied for her brother.

"I am still a former Gundam pilot. I was the pilot of the Tallgeese, which was the original design for the Gundams."

"We're sorry. We don't need an ex alliance soldier here. You may leave the premise now." Charles said, pressing a button on his desk, which seemed to signal a security guard. Relena watched as her older brother was escorted out of Headquarters without having put up any more of a fight. This seemed to be a sure sign of things to come.

Once outside in the artificial sunlight, the Libertatum guards left Zechs alone. There were no more guns pointed at his back in case he tried to retaliate. Heaving a heavy sigh, he decided to head back to his shuttle and radio Une. He was still a Preventer and he was sure they would need all the help they could get for this kind of situation.

Suddenly, a cool voice came from behind him, "Mr. Milliardo, it certainly has been a while…."

**I had originally planned on fifteen chapters for this story, but I outlined the remainder of it and it looks to be eighteen chapters (including the epilogue).**


	15. Chapter 15

**This chapter is a little darker than normal. You've been warned.**

Chapter Fifteen

Lady Une was waiting outside of the shuttle for the return of the separate units. Quatre and his bodyguards waited patiently inside, wondering what Une exactly had in mind. She gave no word about how they were going to surrender or how they would sneak past the other Preventers. Quatre had a horrible feeling, however, that it wouldn't matter soon.

Heero and his unit walked towards the shuttle slowly. He was planning, strategizing in his mind how to go about the surrender. Une was good at tactics, but he was better. He only wished he knew why they wanted the Gundam pilots. There was too much to assume why, but there had to be _one_ specific reason why. His unit saw Lady Une come into view and they slowed their pace even more. Une's arms were crossed over her chest as she watched them approach. Her expression was grim which meant she already had a plan and wouldn't listen to anyone else.

Out of the corner of his eye, Trowa appeared from the east corridor. His stoic expression gave no hint of him finding the location of the weapon. The Preventers were beginning to lose hope.

Once Heero and his unit met with Une and Trowa, she knocked on the shuttle. Quatre emerged, glancing around nervously. "I need all squad leaders to remain here. Everyone else is required to take a fifteen minute break for us to strategize." Une said dismissively.

It only took a minute for the other Preventers to clear out. Once the shuttle door closed and sealed, Une spoke. "We don't have much time left so you five need to go right away. Do whatever they ask until you find it safe enough to remove the Vice Foreign Minister to safety. I'll leave everything up to you now. I gave you a clear opening to leave without truly revealing yourselves." She paused, turning her attention towards Trowa. "Barton, were you able to find anything about the said nuclear weapon?"

"Yes. They have it in the east corridor; room 136. It's heavily guarded, but I assume that once we give ourselves up, it will lax."

She nodded, "I'll send a small unit over there once we know you've been captured. Move out, Gundam pilots."

:::

All five of the pilots held their heads high. They walked out of the north corridor with their weapons concealed and Preventers badges tucked away. All the colon citizens glanced their way once they made it out into the open. The pilots heard murmurs as they passed; only speculating. They never faltered and kept trudging on until they finally arrived at the Headquarters, which was clearly labeled. Duo gave out a heavy sigh, but said nothing else.

The doors opened and the five young men walked in with their hands held up in surrender. It was the only way.

Instantly, they were surrounded. Guns aimed at them and they were restrained from behind. They gave no resistance, although Heero heard Wufei give out a loud chuckle, surely from the loose handcuffs that would have been very easy to escape from. These Libertatum recruits must have had no experience prior to this. The pilots remained silent, following the security guards up to the highest floor. Their heads were still held high, not willing to give off the feeling like they were ashamed of giving themselves up. They had no idea why they were wanted so why should they feel shame?

A smaller guard, probably still in his teens, knocked on the top floor office door. The door, sealed shut by bolts, opened, revealing a luxurious room. Inside, Heero could see Relena slouched on the couch, still restrained, but unharmed. Sitting across from her was a young woman dressed in a sleek business suit with long black hair. Somewhere in the corner of the room, he heard footsteps.

"What a surprise! Miss Darlian, you've been surrounded by the pilots after all this time?" Charles said excitedly.

"Quatre? You don't strike me as the type to be a murderer." Charles' sister said, not moving an inch and face expressionless.

Charles waved his hand, dismissing the guards from the office. "This will make things a lot more interesting, I can already tell you. What will all the people from L4 think when the find out their representative is an ex solider, nonetheless an ex Gundam pilot, that may or may not have destroyed one of their own colonies?" Charles was circling them now, watching their blank expressions as he spoke. "Agent Yuy, I'm surprised that you are here. You are a member of Libertatum as well as Preventers. Are you confused on which side you should be on? Chang, the most _noble_ of Miss Darlian's security. I've never met a person as insufferable as you. You've always gotten in my way when I wanted to speak to Relena alone. Are you the one that bugged her office?" He paused, scrutinizing the Chinese man. "No, that's not you. Now, Barton may very well have. He's always been so eager to watch after Relena. You're the coldest one of the bunch, Barton. Your eyes are dead."

Sarah laughed maliciously, making all the men turn their attention towards the women. Relena was standing, but wobbling as her feet were bound as well. "I think you've found your competition, Charles."

Charles tilted his head back and laughed, "I'm not solely interested in the Vice Foreign Minister's love affairs. I have a bigger purpose than her. She sure is a beauty, but she's expendable." Charles kicked Trowa's knees suddenly, making the clown drop to the floor.

"Stop!" Relena cried.

Ignoring her cries, Charles knelt down next to him, "Are you the pilot that destroyed the original 06E3? That's who we're really after. No one took him seriously until after he blew up my home. Did you ever think that maybe not _everyone_ had evacuated the colony?" Charles stood, kicking the clown in the stomach as he did so.

The other pilots flinched, wishing to help, but it was too early to take over. One of them needed to get closer to Relena before they fought back.

"Guess not." Charles shrugged, turning his attention towards Duo. "I've seen you a couple times before. You've always been talking and cracking jokes. You annoyed me the most and although I don't think you're the culprit, I want to hurt you just for that." The businessman was surprisingly strong, punching Duo in the stomach.

The American fell, doubled over next to Trowa.

"Dear sister, I think it's time to make this public." Charles said, kicking the remaining pilots in the back of the knees.

None of them made a sound as they fell, but accepted that this man was out for vengeance. Heero could see the turmoil in Quatre's expression, but knew that he wouldn't admit to anything until necessary. Quatre had still felt remorse for his mistake and tried to make up for it once peace had been established.

"My dear ESUN, I present to you the infamous and despicable Gundam pilots. I'm sure most of you will be surprised to see your dear L4 representative in the mix. Our former queen has been keeping them near her after all this time. I find it hypocritical that the pacifist queen has to have the most violent and terrible men in the world as her bodyguards." Charles moved out of the camera's view suddenly, letting the camera focus on the five men.

The room was silent. Only their breathing could be heard and Relena's faint whimpers as she struggled against her bonds. Heero wasn't aware of Charles moving behind his desk. The L4 chairman was stealthy for not having been involved in anything other than politics.

"Who should I begin with?" Charles said suddenly from behind them. Heero turned his head to see the man pacing back and forth with an iron crowbar. It was old fashioned, but this man wanted to give the ESUN a show.

A crunch and loud, painful groan let Heero know that Duo was the first to be attacked. Every so often, Charles would ask him who destroyed the colony. Throughout the beatings, Duo remained silent. Wufei was next. When he refused to confess anything at all, Charles moved on to Trowa, then to Quatre. Heero was the last. He lifted his head high, preparing his body for the vicious attack.

"Now, I will regret doing to this to a fellow Libertatum member. However, with your history and your obvious dedication to Miss Darlian, I have no choice but to…" Charles swung the crowbar, hitting Heero squarely in spine.

He bit his tongue, feeling blood pour into his mouth. Blood began to stain his shirt and drip down his back, but he kept quiet.

"STOP!" Relena screamed.

"Sarah, would you like to join me?" Charles asked, offering the crowbar out.

Within seconds, the Carter siblings beat and kicked all five of the pilots while broadcasting across the ESUN. Relena had fallen, trying to get over to them. She couldn't do anything to help them and could only watch as they spit out blood and fought to keep their screams stifled.

**Sorry.**


	16. Chapter 16

**I'm getting back on track now! Hopefully I'll keep my speedy updates going.**

**Enjoy and review! Some of you leave really good ideas.**

Chapter Sixteen

On every single screen in the shuttle, the Preventers watched as the Gundam pilots continued to be beaten. Lady Une gripped the back of a chair tightly in disgust, trying not to let her emotions cloud her judgment. It took several seconds before she could tear her eyes away from the screens, "I need three units to spread out. One unit needs to go to the east corridor and deactivate the nuclear weapon. The second unit needs to go through the north entrance and infiltrate the Headquarters. The third unit will stay outside and take on any rebel members that try to get away. This went completely array of anything I had thought would happen."

"Commander, I still don't understand why they're doing this?" A shaky recruit asked.

"In After Colony 195, a pilot built the first Gundam with the ZERO system. The suit made the pilot unstable and as an effect, the pilot went on a rampage and destroyed a colony in the L4 cluster. I can only assume that Mr. Carter had been from that colony and decided to avenge the fallen colony."

The shuttle was silent as the recruits weighed the information.

"Now that you know some of your Senior Preventers are Gundam pilots, I will not accept anything but the best from you all. These are highly qualified soldiers that struck fear into all of us during the war. They willingly handed themselves over, not just to save the Vice Foreign Minister, but also to save us. I want you to follow their example and take down Libertatum. They need you all now. It's not that often where other people can help the Gundam pilots so we have to make this count."

Suddenly, the Preventers stood with their chests out and heads held high. She could feel the pride exuding from them. As they began filing out, she heard from the broadcast a loud and painful scream. She didn't dare turn to see who it came from, but it made her blood boil.

Charles' voice rang out through the shuttle then, "I know it was one of you. Who destroy the colony? Are the beatings not enough to make you cave? Should I turn the attacks one someone else?"

Lady Une followed her squad out, ignoring any further sounds.

"Lady, could I have a word?" A deep voice said suddenly, startling her. Zechs was there, expressionless and tall like always, seeming like he was awaiting orders.

"Zechs? Why are you here?"

"Why does it matter? You need someone to get inside to get Relena, right? I have the perfect person to help with that."

Une stood back, examining his face closely. "Do what you find necessary."

:::

Zechs entered to Headquarters again, only this time he was able to walk in undetected. All of the Libertatum members were so engrossed with the broadcast that no one saw a person standing in the middle of the lobby. No one saw a tall man walk in to meet the waiting person. They couple walked away, heading towards the elevator before either of them spoke.

"I'll have to handcuff you if you want this to go smoothly, Mr. Milliardo."

"Why? I thought we were just going to storm in there? I heard them say something about torturing others. They might be attacking Relena as we speak."

"She's fine. I have a plan, so please trust me."

Zechs clenched his teeth together, but held out his wrists. The elevator ride was silent. Zechs wasn't offered any information about the plan in mind, but he trusted this person wholly and knew Relena would be safe within minutes.

They walked down the top floor corridor in silence still. Zechs tried to adjust his handcuffs, but they were secure. There was no leeway in them, which meant this person wasn't just binding him for show.

"What are you doing? How are we supposed to take them down if—"

"Trust me."

His accomplice placed a hand on the keypad, verifying their entrance. The door slid open, revealing the lavish office that Zechs had been in only an hour before. As Zechs walked in willingly, he saw the Carters kick Heero over onto his back. Blood had stained his jacket and shirt, a small trail coming from his mouth. Duo and Quatre were curled up into the fetal position, trying to block any more blows. Trowa and Wufei, however, we trying to kneel, resisting their pain. Zechs had always had such a strong admiration for the pilots.

"Ah, Miss Catalonia, how can we help you?" Charles asked, swinging his crowbar back and forth in front of Heero.

"I found Zechs Merquise trying to break into Headquarters. What would you like me to do with him?" Dorothy smiled maliciously.

A loud, gut clenching yell came from the floor suddenly. Quatre fought against all the pain in his body, trying to get a better look at the new arrivals. "D-Dorothy, I thought y-you w-were on our s-side?"

Dorothy laughed loudly, throwing her head back. "Quatre, when will you learn that I'm never an honest person? I will tell anyone anything to get what I need." Dorothy walked away from Zechs slowly, circling the pilots with amusement on her face. All eyes were on her. Charles was smiling widely, giving his sister a knowing look.

Zechs stood perfectly still, not believing that he willingly handed himself into a traitor's hands. Surely, she was on Preventers' side and was only trying to deceive Libertatum. That was more like her. She liked to play games with everyone. Zechs watched her move away from the pilots and closer to Relena. He twisted his hands again, finding that they had loosened. Somehow she had unlocked the handcuffs without him realizing it. He wasn't sure when, but he wasn't going to complain. Maybe she hadn't actually locked them and his constant moving loosened them enough to get his hands free. Zechs kept his eyes locked on Dorothy, waiting for some kind of signal.

"W-when did y-you join t-them?" Quatre asked, finding strength to kneel next to Trowa.

"About a year ago. I was actually the one that inducted Heero into the group." She smiled, taking another slow step towards Relena.

"Heero!?" Quatre yelled, losing his balance for a second from the pain.

Heero had kept his eyes locked on Dorothy as well, remaining on his back on the floor. He didn't try to move, not with Charles' crowbar swinging right above his head.

"That radio transmission he got on his way to Mars? That was actually me. I heard he was planning on meeting with Milliardo so I contacted him. I thought he might be interested in this new uprising since it was conspiring against his beloved and his fellow comrades."

Charles' head snapped down, eyes glaring at Heero. "You? You planned against her!"

Heero let out a low chuckle, but didn't offer any reply.

Zechs saw Dorothy put her hand behind her back suddenly, now that the Carters' attention had been diverted from herself. Ever so slyly, he removed the handcuffs, keeping his arms locked behind him. His hand gun was sheathed in the back of his pants, his fingers touching the cool metal.

Right on cue, Quatre stood, wobbling slightly, "Y-you can't be s-serious. You've b-been with m-me for the p-past year. How c-could you have been in-involved with a rebel group all this t-time?"

Dorothy pulled a gun out from behind her, aiming at Quatre. She felt almost nostalgic about the position. If only she had a rapier available. "Quatre, you underestimate me more than I've realized."

Dorothy could see the Carters smile menacingly, waiting for her to pull the trigger on him. Quatre stumbled again, falling down to one knee, just seconds before Dorothy pulled the trigger, which hit Sarah in the arm.

"Bitch!" Sarah screamed, dropping her weapon and clutching her arm tightly.

Dorothy dropped, landing on top of Relena. Zechs instantly withdrew his gun, aiming at Charles and fired.

Suddenly, an explosion erupted from outside the Headquarters. Charles fell from the bullet in his leg while Sarah rushed to the window to see a large dust cloud rise higher into the sky. With all their strength, the pilots rose. Heero and Duo hobbled their way towards Charles; Duo kicking the terrorist in the stomach as a part of revenge. Only Heero dropped down, trying to remove the keys from his belt. Wufei sprinted across the room, throwing himself on to the computer screen which was still broadcasting. His weight cracked to screen, making every screen fill with static. The broadcast was over.

Chaos had erupted.

From the top floor, they could hear the firing of guns and screams of civilians. Everyone in the office moved. Trowa and Quatre hurled themselves towards Dorothy and Relena; however, Dorothy tackled Sarah away from the window.

"Preventers!" Sarah screamed.

In mid kick, Charles swung his injured leg out, tripping Duo. The man rose and ran out the office before anyone could aim properly. Zechs was halfway across the office, running the aid his sister. Heero, struggling with the keys taken from Charles, called out for his old rival.

"You're the only one with free hands."

Zechs took the small keys from Heero, unlocking the handcuffs on all pilots. Sarah lay underneath Dorothy, whimpering from the pain in her arm.

"Miss Relena, are you all right?" Quatre asked, helping the young diplomat into a sitting position.

"Yes, thank you. Are you okay? Is everyone okay?" She stood, lending a hand to help the Winner heir up.

"I think we've all been worse off. He was pretty tough, but nothing beats getting knocked around in a Gundanium encased mobile suit." Duo laughed, clutching his ribs.

"What's going on outside?" Heero asked Zechs.

"Une sent the remaining Preventers out to attack. If you're up for it, it should get interesting." Zechs smiled slightly.

The five pilots nodded, ignoring their pain and pulled out their boot sheathed guns.

**Next chapter will be quite eventful! Stay tuned.**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

The door to the office opened, revealing a small squad of Preventers with their guns held high in case of an attack.

"Agents! Are you all right?" One of the men asked, lowering his gun slightly at the sight of the pilots.

"We're fine. What did Une plan?" Trowa asked, leaning down to help Quatre stand more firmly.

The remaining Preventers lowered their weapons, and the first man replied. "She divided us up. We were to infiltrate the Headquarters; run out any members of Libertatum. There's a unit on the ground, ready to attack anyone escaping. The last unit is trying to find the nuclear weapon."

"All right. Quatre, I'm going to team up with the third unit. Are you able to stand on your own?" Trowa asked, releasing the blonde's arm.

"Y-yes, I think so." Quatre clutched his abdomen, planting his feet on the ground.

"Quatre, I think you need to protect Relena. Take her to the shuttle and keep her safe." Heero said, wiping blood away from his mouth.

The blonde pilot groaned in pain, willing himself to nod. Relena walked over to him, placing his arm over her shoulders for support. "No need to worry about me. I think I can get him to the shuttle. Which hangar?"

"South entrance, hangar four." Wufei answered, checking his gun.

She nodded, walking Quatre towards the exit. She noticed Heero's hand move slightly, as if to reach out for her. She stopped him though, replying to his unsaid statement. "I'll be all right."

Silently, Heero nodded and turned his gaze back to Zechs. "We need to split up; come up with a plan as well."

"Right." Zechs agreed, turning to look over the pilots again. "Barton and Chang will meet up with the deactivation team. Maxwell and I will head outside to help out with the battle. Heero," He paused, staring his old rival in the eyes. "Find Charles."

The pilots nodded, dividing up. Trowa and Wufei walked out of the office first, then Heero. Zechs turned to Dorothy, who had helped Sarah up, tossing her injured arm over her shoulder. "Take her to the shuttle too. We'll have some questions for her."

The group dispersed. All of them remained calm, knowing this battle was the final. There was everything to fight for and nothing holding them back. Heero watched as Relena hid in the shadows of the battle, undetected and carrying Quatre. He knew she would be safe. Quatre was strong, injured or not, he would protect her for Heero. Hiding as he usually did, Heero traveled through the debris of the building. His constant observing eyes went from one fight to the next, searching for a limping Charles. All of the Preventers were fighting. He was proud to see no fatalities, but the battle had just started.

He caught sight of Une in the midst of the battle, hiding behind a fallen wall of the building. She was crouching behind the wall beside two other Preventers that Heero knew to be Eric and Alec. Trowa and Wufei had vanished into the smoke, searching to the deactivation team. All Preventers were still wearing their headsets. Heero dug into his jacket pocket, gritting his teeth against the aches of his muscles and plugged his headset back in. Instantly, he could hear other Preventers yelling for back up or that they had taken over a floor inside the Headquarters.

Knowing it to be his best bet, Heero radioed in, asking if anyone had seen Charles Carter. Silence answered him. The aches in his muscles stopped him from venturing out into the battle any further. He held his gun high, wanting to help until he received an answer. He had promised he would never have to kill again, so he aimed for limbs.

His radio crackled as he took out two Libertatum members.

"South entrance! Agent Yuy, Carter is heading for the South entrance!" A random Preventer yelled.

"Roger." He answered monotony. Biting back any pain that blossomed in his chest and legs, Heero took off in a sprint.

:::

Trowa and Wufei ran as fast as their injured bodies could. The East corridor was completely deserted so they hadn't had any trouble catching up with the deactivation team. Trowa could hear the team working on the door. Shouts of the battle echoed down the metal corridor, but they ignored everything.

"Agent Barton. Agent Chang. How did you escape?" A junior Preventer asked, catching sight of the two running around the corner.

"Zechs and Dorothy." Trowa responded, holding his painful ribs. "Have you deactivated the weapon yet?"

"No, sir. We're still trying to get into the room. They have it locked with several different systems. We have two men in the control room trying to hack into the system." The Preventer saluted.

"Wufei, are you any good with computers?" Trowa turned to his comrade.

"No, but I think I can take care of this if you want to go help them out." The Chinese man said, wiping sweat from his forehead.

"Sure thing." Trowa nodded, running further down the corridor. The control room door was dented and busted in, revealing a large room with several computers all facing different directions. A larger screen was illuminated, displaying all the different sections of the colony.

"Need some help?" The clown asked, taking a seat closest to the door.

"Agent Barton?!" The other two Preventers said simultaneously.

Typing away quickly, Trowa found all of the necessary files he needed to open the door to room 136.

:::

Quatre was struggling against Relena. He was determined to not put so much of his weight on the Vice Foreign Minster's small framed body, but the injuries to his abdomen and back was causing him too much pain to stand on his own. Every now and then, Relena would laugh lightly at his obvious struggle.

"Stop moving around so much, Quatre. You're slowing us down." She said gently, adjusting his arm around her shoulders.

"Sorry, I just feel bad for making you carry me back to the shuttle. You should be with Heero." He said through gritted teeth, clutching his stomach with his free hand.

"Oh, I would just get in Heero's way if I stayed with him. He likes to be the leader and in control."

Quatre laughed through bouts of cramping, "No one was really the leader of us. We all kind of did our own thing…until the end."

They became silent again, getting distracted by the curving corridors and different exits. Quatre helped navigate her, steering her every once in a while closer to a wall so he could apply more of his weight on that instead of her.

After a few more minutes, Quatre spoke again. "I should have confessed while I had the chance."

"For what?"

"For the colony. I should have told Charles that I was the one that destroyed the colony and explain why I did so. I think I would have been able to talk some sense into him if I had taken that approach instead."

"No, Quatre." Relena said softly, tightening her grip on his arm. "Charles wouldn't have understood any reasoning. He's gone crazy and there wasn't anything you could have said to change his mind. Only crazy people build nuclear weapons and think that is the only way to resolve the issue."

"I should have at least apologized."

She giggled quietly, "Duo told me you always blamed yourself for everything. If something went wrong in the war, it was your fault for not trying hard enough or something. You can't blame yourself for this, Quatre. You did what you could. You have saved more people because of that error you made, which, by the way, wasn't your fault. It was that ZERO system that made you think blowing up a colony was a good idea."

"It was my fault, Relena."

"It's in the past and, like I said, you've made it your duty to save and protect more lives since then."

Quatre sighed heavily, pulling his arm away from Relena and resting against the wall. They waited in silence, gaining their strength back before they continued on. After a few minutes, they heard heavy footsteps running down the corridor towards them. Quatre instinctively pushed off against the wall and stood in front of Relena. She placed her hands on his back, steadying him.

Suddenly, a figure came around the corner holding a gun directly at them.

"There you are, Minister and Representative." Charles malicious voice taunted.

"Charles…what do you want?" Quatre barked, locking his knees to keep his balance.

"Who blew up 06E3? That's all I want to know."

"Why does it matter anymore? It's gone. It happened years ago, so you need to get over the past. We're in a peaceful time now and you need to accept that. There is nothing to attain through revenge." Relena said dominantly, appearing from behind Quatre.

"It's a peace of mind, Miss _Former Queen._" He said, aiming his gun at Relena.

"I did it!" Quatre yelled interrupting any chance Relena could have of retaliation.

"Quatre Raberba Winner, huh? That figures." Charles laughed.

"You have to let me explain There's more to it than you think." Quatre pleaded, raising his hands up to show he was unarmed. "I had just lost my father from the beam cannons on one of the colonies. I didn't agree that the colonies should have weapons to defend themselves. That's what I was doing on Earth… that's what all of us pilots were doing. We wanted to protect the colonies from that hideous war. I built this new suit and installed a new system in it. It was supposed to help make the pilot a better fighter. However, if the pilot wasn't in the right state of mind, the effects of the system could be dangerous, which is why I blew up the colony…." Quatre explain, trailing off.

"Hm, what a heartwarming story." Charles smiled, still aiming his gun at the pair. "However, I still think revenge for killing my family is in order." He said, pulling the trigger.

* * *

**Okay, I know I said this was the last chapter and then the epilogue, but if I continued with this chapter it would probably double, if not triple in the normal length. This is going to be my sole focus until it's done. **

**Anyway, hope you liked this chapter.**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Dorothy didn't concern herself to be gentle with Sarah Carter. As the two women walked down the corridor slowly, Dorothy would casually direct the woman into a metal wall, or tug forcefully on the other woman's injured arm. Every time Sarah groaned or gasped out of pain, Dorothy couldn't help but laugh. Dorothy made no attempt to talk to the woman, either. It was best to keep silent in case Sarah said something that angered Dorothy. The blonde woman didn't want to be responsible for the death of a Libertatum leader. Even though she wasn't a Preventer, she didn't want to end up on the wrong side of Lady Une. Dorothy could hold her own when it came to striking fear into people, but Une was a master at it. She certainly took Treize's advice of being more graceful to heart. She was graceful at being evil.

"Please…stop." Sarah begged suddenly.

"Stop?" Dorothy pulled her arm over her shoulders more tightly.

"I need to rest for a minute."

Dorothy pretended to consider the request for a second, "No. Terrorists don't get rest stops."

They trudged on, Sarah slowly becoming heavier and heavier with each step. Dorothy knew that the woman had lost quite a bit of blood and was on the verge of fainting, but she didn't care. Her orders from Milliardo were to take the woman to the shuttle. She was going to get there even if someone found them and started shooting. Dorothy still had her gun safely tucked in the belt holster.

Silently, they pressed on, Dorothy having to lifting Sarah's dead weight higher with each step. The blonde woman was strong and easily carried her further down, not stopping for random footsteps or screams that came from behind them. It was only when she heard a gunshot coming from in front that she stopped for a moment. They were supposed to be alone. Relena and Quatre should have already made it to the shuttle.

Concerned about her boyfriend and friend, Dorothy lifted the fainted woman onto her back. She picked up her dull pace, trying to run towards the sound. The corridor was dark now. When she had left for the Headquarters, it had been lit, but through the battle and falling debris, she was sure something had knocked out the power. She turned a corner and found herself blinded and ran into something firm, but too soft to be a wall.

She fell, dropping the unconscious woman.

"Dorothy?" She heard a deep voice ask.

"Who's there?"

Turning a flashlight on to illuminate themselves, she saw Heero peering down at her, gun in hand and finger on the trigger.

"Did you hear that gunshot?" She asked, standing up.

"Yeah…." He said, turning his attention back down the corridor.

"Do you know who it was?"

"I can only assume. Since I didn't hear any screams, I'm assuming they are okay…or dead."

"Who do you assume it is?" Dorothy asked the question she already knew the answer too.

"Relena and Quatre. I was told Charles was in this corridor."

Forgetting about Sarah, Dorothy and Heero took off in a sprint, hoping they weren't too late.

:::

Zechs was already starting to regret picking Duo for his partner. He had hoped that while a battle was going on, the American man wouldn't talk as much, however, it was quite the opposite. Out of nerves, the man spoke more and faster, causing Zechs to have a minor headache.

Eventually, an opportunity presented itself and Zechs sent Duo to help a small troop of Preventers that had a chunk of building fall on top of them. Panicked, Duo sprinted over there. Out of relief, Zechs maneuvered his way over to Lady Une.

She was squatting behind a wall, talking rapidly over her radio. Zechs only heard bits and pieces of her orders and knew it was best to stay silent and cover her. He watched as frantic Preventers ran back and forth, trying to find the best way to take over.

He wasn't sure how things had gotten so out of hand. The takeover should have been quick and unflawed, but now they were facing an uproar. Preventers were always known for stealth and being quick to finish their missions. What was taking them so long to deactivate the nuclear weapon and arrest Charles?

:::

Trowa ignored the other two Preventers as they cursed and pounded on their keyboards. There was no point in getting frustrated. The more time they took to vent their anger, the more time it took to unlock the door. Trowa, always calm and always collected, typed rapidly. He felt despair, but he wasn't about to show it. He had gone through wall after wall of security locks and still couldn't see the end of this task.

He wanted to sigh; wishing Heero and Duo were able to come help him out like they had with Mariemaia's scheme. Everything was so much faster when they didn't have other people to rely on. Sometimes, Trowa knew why Heero and Wufei always wanted to operate alone.

Suddenly, a ticking sound broke through his thoughts. He stared at the screen, blinking a few times. He couldn't believe it. There blinking on the screen was the system for all of the colony locks. He'd done it. Instead of searching for one specific lock, he hit the button to release all locks. That was the easiest way.

"Wufei," He said into his radio, turning to look at the other Preventers. "It's open."

Through his earpiece, he could hear the others whoop and holler. This mission was finally going according to plan.

:::

Relena hadn't flinched at all. Quatre fell, not because of the gunshot that missed them by a foot, but by his previous injuries. Relena almost felt like laughing when she realized that Charles wasn't going to hit them. His expression was shocked. He was completely shocked that he had missed them by that much. It only took him a second to regain his composure and aim the gun at them again.

"Why are you so blinded by hatred, Charles? Can't you see that he's sorry? He has been trying to make up for his mistakes ever since then." Relena argued, drawing Charles' attention away from the blonde man.

He shook his head, black strands falling into his eyes, "It doesn't matter that he feels remorse now, Relena. He still did it."

"I also attacked a very close friend of mine during that time. If I was in the right state of mind, I never would have done that." Quatre said, clutching his ribs as he tried to stand up.

"When are you two going to give up trying to make me understand?" He pulled the trigger again, this time hitting Quatre in the shoulder.

"So, you've just gone completely crazy?" Relena said, biting her tongue. She stood her ground. She had always been prepared to die, but she knew help was on the way. It always was.

"I'm not crazy. I'm sane. I understand more than you ever could." He aimed the gun at her now. She took a deep breath, bracing herself.

"No kill shots, Yuy! No kill shots!" a static voice screamed down the corridor suddenly, drawing Charles' attention away from Relena.

She took the chance, dropping onto Quatre and waited. Bullets started flying as heavy footsteps drew closer. In a matter of seconds, but what felt like hours, Charles let out a loud groan, dropping to the floor. Relena looked over, seeing his cold black eyes lose the sign of life in them.

"Oops." She heard Heero say in his normal monotone.

A soft hand clutched Relena's arm then, causing her to jump. Dorothy was trying to help her up. It took only second for Relena's mind to register everything that had happened. She didn't need help standing. She jumped up, pushing past Dorothy and ran straight into Heero's arms. She kissed him as deeply and passionately as she could muster. He had saved her life again.

:::

Wufei opened to door easily, peering inside. He opened to door wider, slowly, standing in disbelief. He let his jaw slack and all the tension and anticipation he built up in his body drop.

The room was empty.

After a few seconds, he let the other Preventers search the room, knowing there wasn't anything in there for them to find. He radioed to Une and all the others.

"False alarm. Libertatum doesn't have a nuclear weapon."

After a few moments, static cracked in his earpiece. He was sure there were too many people trying to talk at the same time. Slumping his shoulders, Wufei began his trudge back into the main area of the colony to meet with Lady Une. There wasn't anything else to do.

:::

"I don't believe it! We brought all this manpower, all this force for a hoax?" Zechs yelled, pushing the last few Libertatum members to the ground. The takeover happened within seconds. Somehow, the Preventers overpowered the rebels. Zechs felt like he only blinked when there was an uproar of a battle to hundreds of members being handcuffed. It was over.

Lady Une's cold expression was turning bright red. She didn't handle being made a fool of lightly. She wasted so much energy and time preparing for this huge battle for it just to have been a bluff. The President wouldn't be pleased to hear about their mishap.

She stood up, walking around to do head count. She at least needed to know that she didn't lose any of her members. Small fires were still burning across the courtyard and from the small amount of smoke, she saw Heero and Relena appear, followed by Dorothy supporting a wounded Quatre. Relief washed over her.

"Maxwell, take over headcount." She said, walking over to the group of newcomers.

"Where's Charles and Sarah?" she asked, wanting to keep her professional persona.

"Charles is dead. Sarah is passed out in the shuttle." Heero replied.

"I said no kill shots, Yuy."

He shrugged, "He became hostile."

"He was always hostile!"

"We still have Sarah." Trowa's voice said from behind them.

"Trowa! Wufei!" Quatre yelled excitedly, clutching his ribs.

"You all right, Quatre?" Trowa asked, taking his free arm around his shoulders to relieve Dorothy.

"I'll be better when we get back to Earth."

"Is it time for a vacation?" Dorothy asked, ruffling Quatre's blonde hair gently.

The blonde man nodded, smiling as he looked around at the troop of Preventers. Battle worn and tired, they all were still very pleased with themselves. They fought hard and vigilantly. No fatalities and only some disappointment.

"Well, no one is dead so I think we can go ahead and call it a night." Duo said, walking up to the group in his usually swagger.

In silent understanding, all the Preventers and any other miscellaneous people walked down the south corridor. Several people stepped over Charles' body with the occasional kick. The very last of the soldiers decided to carry his body back out into the colony's main area for a proper burial.

"We'll need an extra shuttle. We're leaving with a bit more cargo than when we came." Une said, looking over to all the Libertatum members.

"I will always offer my transportation." Dorothy said, pointing to the fifth hangar where her gold shuttle sparkled.

"I always wanted to know what it was like inside that thing. Are the seats made of gold too?" Duo asked, walking ahead of the group towards the fifth hangar.

"Maxwell, we need people to ride this shuttle. People have to keep an eye on these rebels." Une said, suppressing a smile.

Groaning and throwing his hands in the air, Duo followed the junior Preventers into the original shuttle and watched as the rest of his comrades board Dorothy's.

"I wonder how much paperwork is piling up on my desk now. Kidnapped or not, they just add to the pile." Relena said, sitting next to the window. Heero sat beside her, snaking his fingers into hers.

"I like Dorothy's idea. Maybe you should take a vacation."

Relena snapped her head around, trying to give him his own signature death glare. "Where would you want to go?"

Heero was silent, smiling as he stared straight ahead.

* * *

**The epilouge is the only chapter left! Hope you've enjoyed the ride so far!**


	19. Chapter 19: Epilogue

**I just want to say thank you all for reading! I think this is a moment to let you know that joining this site has made me feel better about my obsession with Gundam Wing. I finally know that I'm not alone! This is my favorite site to go to and talk to fellow GW otakus. **

* * *

Epilogue

Relena walked into her mansion, barely able to lift her feet off the ground. She had spent hours in the shuttle back to Earth, in Une's office debriefing, and then filling out more paperwork that she wasn't prepared for. Once she was able to exit Lady Une's presence, she ran into Milliardo. He wasn't always affectionate towards her in public, but this one time, in the middle of Preventers hallway, he hugged her and asked her a million times if she was all right. It was only when Heero emerged from his office that she was able to escape.

Heero grabbed hold of her hand and walked as fast as he could, dragging her behind. On the way out of the building, they ran into Duo who was completely packed and ready to head back out to space to be with Hilde. Trowa was pacing the hospital wing hallway, talking furiously on the phone to Catherine who was demanding his return immediately. However, Relena did pull back, wanting to see Quatre before taking a secret vacation.

Dorothy sat beside his bed, holding his hand. There wasn't much the doctors could do about the bruises, but he was the only one that suffered any broken bones and they had to treat the gunshot wound. Sarah was in the bed next to them, still unconscious.

"How are you, Quatre?" Relena asked, pushing the curtains back.

"I'm fine, Miss Relena. Are you all right?" He said, trying to sit up.

"I'm just fine, thank you. Still planning a vacation?"

Dorothy answered for him, "Looks like the vacation will be spent in the hospital."

Heero tugged on her hand, giving a half-hearted wave to the couple inside. She obliged, following him out of the rest of the building and into the waiting limousine. As soon as he closed the door behind him and seated himself beside her did she try to ask again, "Where are we going?"

He silenced her with a kiss. He kissed her forcefully, taking the breath out of her. She sat in silence for the rest of the ride and only when the gates opened to her estate did she know that they had even arrived to her home.

"How long do I have to pack?" She asked as he helped her out of the car.

He cocked an eyebrow at her, but remained silent. Entering the house, she went straight to her room to pack for this mystery vacation. She wasn't going to fight it. She had been working since she was fifteen and she had never taken a vacation and now that _Heero,_ of all people, was requesting her to do so meant that it must have been time. Peace had been stable and the Preventers were more than sufficient at maintaining peace so she felt that her absence for a few days was fine. During the entire flight back to Earth she thought about the vacation and what harm it could bring.

None.

There wasn't a single reason she shouldn't go and relax. It was well deserved.

She stopped packing when she heard her bedroom door open. The sound of heavy footsteps let her know that it was Heero, even though she wasn't expecting anyone else.

"I relieved your staff." He said with monotony.

She looked over her shoulder, "Why?"

"Vacation started ten minutes ago. We needed to house to be empty."

"Where are we going that the entire house needs to be empty?" She shut her suitcase, turning completely around to look at him fully. He was always a mysterious man, but she was usually able to figure him out quickly enough. This time, though, she wasn't sure what he had up his sleeve. Vacation was an uncommon word for both of them, so she wasn't sure what his idea of a vacation would mean.

She crossed her arms over her chest and frowned, "What are you planning, Heero?"

He took a step closer to her, smirking slightly, "After having such an eventful few days, I thought we could be alone."

"I agree. Where?"

He stepped closer, "Here."

"Here? What will we do here?"

He took another step, closing the distance between them. "Well, that depends on your answer."

She was confused. "Answer to what?"

He took her small hand in his large, calloused one, saying, "Whether or not you'll marry me."

She let out a small gasp, trying to comprehend what it was he just asked her exactly. "What?"

Heero remained silent, knowing it was best to let the question sink in. She was quick witted and logical when it came to everything, except her personal life. She could argue and debate for hours, but the moment someone asked her a personal question, she had to think longer than normal.

"So, we're skipping the whole dating nonsense and going straight into marriage?" She asked, tightening her grip on his hand. Her fingers barely covered the back of his hand.

"I don't see any point in dating since we've practically been together since we were fifteen. I know everything I need to know about you to know that this will work out. I've gone over all scenarios and done the research."

She laughed, "What?"

"Just answer the question. We've already lost fifteen minutes and twenty eight seconds of vacation."

She shook her head, not believing that the situation she had fantasized about for years was actually happening. It was going completely different than she had imagined, but Heero always did things differently.

"Are you saying no?" His hand slacked in hers suddenly.

"No, I'm saying yes. I just can't believe you're finally asking me." She laughed, tearing her hand away and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

Heero wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her feet off the ground and kissed her forcefully. He carried her over to the bed, tossing her like a rag doll. Before she could adjust herself, he was atop her, kissing her again.

"Wait, I know I'm not completely traditional or anything, but a girl does like jewelry. Where is the ring?"

He breathed heavily as he kissed her neck, "Umm, it's….." He said, beginning his way down, "It's somewhere hidden in the house."

She laughed, not believing the Perfect Soldier had finally forgotten something.

**The End**

* * *

**Okay, I'm in a squishy mood since my best friend just got engaged. I usually don't get excited at that kind of news, but they've been together for four years and he's wonderful for her!**


End file.
